6 weeks post tx and most things are back to normal. Taste buds are there, appetite is coming back, my main problem is swallowing. I have no problems with liquids but solid food feel like it gets stuck in my throat and sometimes there is some choking and coughing that goes along with that. I was curious is it possible to still be having problems due to swelling at this point or should I start thinking more along the lines of dysphagia and needing therapy or a dilation?
Another problem I am wondering if anyone has had. I feel like I have aged 20 years, getting up and down takes more effort. I actually feel like I am coming down with a flu or that I worked out to hard the day before. Bones and muscles ache and pop that never have before. Is this normal?

[quote]Another problem I am wondering if anyone has had. I feel like I have aged 20 years, getting up and down takes more effort. I actually feel like I am coming down with a flu or that I worked out to hard the day before. Bones and muscles ache and pop that never have before. Is this normal?[/quote]I can ditto this one. At 5 weeks post, I am healing very well, taste is good, eating fine and decent appetite. What is growing daily is the feeling you describe. Funny because yesterday I was feeling bad about going on walk with two 70 and one 80 year old and felt like the old hunched over grandpa of the crowd. Aches and pains all over too, just feel really wore out.

I think it is common to have such symptoms as the body recovers from the harsh treatments.

hang in there, don

Rosy, your body is still in recovery mode. Keep taking in a minimum of 2500 calories and 48 oz of water for at least the first year after finishing treatments. Check with your doc or nutritionist about adding some high protein whey powder to your diet to help with your protein intake. You have been thru alot and it can take 2 years to make a full recovery. But the good news is that for most patients they are doing pretty good at about 6-8 months post rads with a few slight improvements happening until the 2 year mark.

Check with a speech pathologist about the swallowing. You may need a barium swallow test to make sure you are swallowing safely. They can also help you with different exercises to help with swallowing. Hopefully you will not need dilatations but they are an option if you continue to struggle.

Best wishes with your continued recovery!

I don't know how much weight you lost but whatever you lost was most likely muscle and Christine is right your body is trying to recover from being poisoned and radiated to near death. Give your body tons of fuel to help it recover. Take it slow and easy. I finish my Tx Sept 1 and before long I was dealing with Tax Season so I didn't really try to exercise until mid April and even then I felt weak but in no time I was riding as if nothing ever happened. Moral...just be patient.

[quote=rosymonroe]I feel like I have aged 20 years, getting up and down takes more effort. I actually feel like I am coming down with a flu or that I worked out to hard the day before. Bones and muscles ache and pop that never have before. Is this normal? [/quote]

Much like you and DonFoo.... I feel like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz when they found him in the woods... "Oil Can...Oil Can". And imagine how we feel being about 20 years older than you! ~lol~ Add to that some nerve damage in my left shoulder due to the neck dissection and it makes it even worse.

I lost a lot of weight, mostly muscle, so it'll take some time to work out the kinks in the armor.

I'm struggling with swallowing as well. I have a "pocket" in the back of my throat from the biopsies that is still healing so food tends to get caught there. Docs say that it will get better. Just have to keep doing the swallowing exercises.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

Thoughts & love are with you Rosymonroe. Hang in there as everyone here has... following your progress with interest.

Hi Rosemary,the choking sensation and coughing may indicate that the food may not be all going down the right way. The speech and language pathologists recommend swallowing hard two or three times with every mouthful -- once is not enough. If you any doubts at all, cough hard to get it all back out so that it doesn't get into your lungs. My husband has a lot of swallowing difficulties and we were told to be really vigilant about aspiration. You might like to ask for a swallowing assessment. The SLP will give you a bunch of strategies and suggestions to help you swallow better.

I have to admit the swallowing difficulty has me pretty down. I am tired of fighting to swallow when I eat and yesterday I threw in the towel at 1000 calories. I haven't tried to eat today yet, been up for a few hours. The thought of going thru that miserable feeling of choking and gagging and then the feeling of left over food stuck in my throat for a while, no thanks. My liquids starting pooling in the back of my throat a couple of days ago, I can sometimes hear them gurgling when I breath, a cough and it clears for about 10 seconds. I am seriously hoping this is just another step along the way. I haven't slept well for the last 3 or 4 nights which could be the reason for my fowl mood this morning. Night time is now spent with a terribly dry and painful throat that water will not cure, then there is the waking every couple of hours coughing so bad I end up choking.
Time to put on a smile and go to work, fake it till you make it, just some days are harder than others.

Sorry to hear of your problems. You're still early in the recovery phase. I really couldn't eat until 3 months post treatment, and that was very very little, and it really took much longer to what I considered being a meal, maybe 8 months on Thanksgiving. Small steps is best, and in this case, time heals all wounds. I'm two years out my first post rad treatment, I had several recurrences, treatments, but can eat everything now, probably more than most, and had, and still do, have a peg tube, which I don't use now after my last treatment in November, but is my back up for several reasons. Do you see a speech and swallow therapist, do the exercises?

Try to sleep on an incline, use a humidifier, drink water before sleeping, and have some available table side. Water only relives the dry mouth for 16 minutes. Milk replicates saliva and coats the mouth, if you want to try that.

Maybe spraying the food with vegetable oil, I used olive oil in the past, to coat the food to help swallow.

As far as pain, idk if you are taking pain meds, if not see about that, and meds for choking.

Good luck

I do not see a speech and swallow therapist, nor has that option ever been brought up by any of my doctors. I wonder which one should I speak to about it the ENT, RO, or my oncologist.
They never brought it up and the last time I saw any of them I was barely taking in a few bites a day and the pain was more of a problem than the swallowing. I assumed it would get better but it honestly seems to be getting worse. I suppose that could mean something is healing and its just a change but at this point I think it would be a good idea to see a therapist.