Wow, it feels great to be on this site...no more treatment!!! Its been 3 days and i cant say i really feel to good. Ok i have heard that this time is no fun, but a few questions here...why does my throat hurt worse now than during treatment? I can barely swallow or even talk? My skin is doing alot better, finally starting to heal, everyday, i gain a lil more energy, the tube is doing great, the thick spit is so damn annoying i cant stand it!!! Thats it...2 complaints ( the spit, the sore throat ) HELP SOMEONE... let me know how to fix these problems!!! And to top it all off, i have sinus infection too!!! But damn, it sure feels good not to go to treatment, haha. Im hanging in there, but really need some help on these issue's. Thanks.

Linda, since I am a caregiver to a pretty sick guy, I can only congratulate you on a "job well done" so far. I think your 2 problems will probably get better-at least the sore throat should diminish - the thick spit may be something you will have to deal with for awhile. I'm sure you will get some good suggestions on dealing with both those issues. The main thing is that you have dealt with all of this so well-remember that in the days ahead-Good for You! Amy

Linda, it is definitely normal that you feel your throat getting more painful than during treatment because the side effects are accumulative. You will expect the pain to stay with you for quite a while and it is difficult to predict how long it will last because everyone heals differently. For me I had to take pain killers regularly every day for about 2 months after treatment. As for the burnt skin, yes, most people share similar experience that this is the first area that gets healed. I spat a lot too after treatment and conumed a large quantity of Kleenex. Yes very annoying but the amount will decrease gradually. I didn't do anything to stop it because I knew it was a natural outcome after treatment. Just accept it as a price you pay in exchange of your health. When there is no more mucus, the mouth dryness soon appears. You have recovered very well already since you are gaining some energy so soon. Be patient!

Karen

Linda,
As I have written you before: the first few weeks following the end of radiation are the hardest of all. My docs at MDACC prescribed me the Duragesic pain patches for the sore throat and I wore the things 24/7 for a few months. I could not swallow anything but a little water and got my nutrition solely from the tube feedings for quite a while.
Has anyone at MDACC spoken to you about the Yankauer suction machine? It is like the little thing that your dentist uses to suck up liquids in your mouth. They prescribed one for me and I kept it by the easy chair during the day and bedside at night during the period when I had so much mucous. I found it much easier to use and less irritating to my mouth and face than constantly spitting into tissues. I would recommend that you speak to the speech pathologist or one of your docs about getting one. Insurance paid for mine.

Take care and keep us posted about how you are doing. One can get very depressed during this time and there is an agency in Houston that provides free counselling sessions with psychologists who are trained in cancer counselling.

Danny G.

Hi Linda,
My husbands radiation stopped August 11th and although the thick mucus has subsided it is still there it takes time the drs says he wakes up everymorning with a swollen face from the radiation that is still there and I believe some of the swelling is from the mouth and tongue ulcers also. Like Karen we go through tons of kleenex, paper towels and napkins plus cases of bottled water its important to keep drinking so the epoglotis doesn't get stiff. Did you get the amifostine shots? Luckily my husband didn't have to many side effects. He did miss about 4 of them because his blood pressure was so low and he did get pneumonia. Also for the burnt skin They gave my husband Aguafhor to keep the skin soft it really helped, actually I used it around my eyes, what the hec it might help those crows feet.
Take Care

Linda, My worst week was the first week after treatment ended but my rad doc pretty much warned me but it still was bad. I am 5 weeks out so I'm pretty close to you. My throat still hurts but now probably 1 on the 10 scale. That thick stuff left me in week 3 but now I have the dry mouth and am atrtached to water bottles all over my house and cars. Still can't taste anything which irks me the most. I have started to gain weight and I feel less tired every day. I feel 200% better than I did because of all of this but still nowhere near "normal". One thing that has helped me is finding Carnation Instant Breakfast VHC which is identical to Ensure Plus BUT has 560 cals in 8 ozs. If you want more info just ask. Hang in there it will get better.

1 Week out of treatment, and thanks to all that responded to my questions! I am here to report that my throat still hurts, the spit is still thick, but i do have more energy than last week! So im seeing improvement there. My skin is healing very good,( a lil itchy when i let it get to dry.) Im still eating by the tube, but damn im wanting some good ol food! I want to hear "crunch" haha, but i know it will all come in time! I dont feel like im depressed at all, im getting impatient with all of this but not depressed. Im still loving the fact i dont have to go to treatment anymore...YIPEEEE ! Thanks again for all of ya'lls help, and i will let you know of any changes that go on here, hahaha wow i lead a really interesting life here dont i ? Im just waiting for changes...haha i so deserve the changes, so i guess thats good, huh?

Linda,

I'm about 10 days behind you. My last xrt is tomorrow. So I follow your posts closely, as I said in the other forum you have been both an inspiration and source of knowledge for me. You are doing geat with your recovery, keep on keeping on.

Thanks

Well im officially two weeks out of Radiation and i went to the doctor today, and she told me i "looked" great! What does that mean? Ok, i do feel alot better, i have energy and my skin, well put it this way, all the evidence of Rad. is almost gone! And i really am starting to feel great, 85% back to normal, But the big question is, why am i so scared to eat or drink, is this tube my crutch now? I cant figure out if im scared of the food tasting bad like it did, or that im scared of the whole idea of just eating, like its going to hurt my throat? I think i have a mental block here, and hell i cant believe its over food...im the one that cant wait to crunch and the one that is sooooooo jealous of seeing people eat!!! I REALLY WANT TO EAT!!! But im really scared to...i did a brave thing and did my first taste test yesterday on the way home, i stopped and got a "orange slush" from Sonic, ( let me say, i hate orange slushes ) but i didnt want to try something i liked just in case it tasted bad or i couldnt taste at all! Well i am glad to report...it tasted ok, YES I COULD TASTE THE FLAVOR i really and truely could!!! Then i went as far as tasting my daughters "raspberry tea" ( which that is something i would have drank before all of this ) and guess what? IT WAS BITTER AND I HATED IT!!! So, does this mean, everything i use to like i wont now? And everything i didnt like, i will now? THIS IS WHY IM SCARED TO DEATH TO EAT!!! I have been dreaming of Outback Steak House and Olive Garden and Mexican Food ( TexMex ) I dont want to ruin those dreams, haha, i swear sometimes i can taste them, if i think hard enough about them! The Cheeseburger story the other day, ummm... i think it was DavidCPA, i laughed until i cried, that was the most funniest thing i have heard, we put so much value on food, dont we? I found myself telling my husband the story and got tickled again, and he just looked at me like i had to much radiation or something, he didnt find it funny at all, but then i realized why would he, he eats, nothing has changed his taste, people that do go through this, they have no idea the every day things as common as eating or drinking we all take for granted...Well, not no more, not this woman, im going to thank god every night for the ability to eat and drink when i can! Haha, people told me, when i found out i had cancer, that it would change my life forever...it does do that, and it does change it for the best, it makes you stop and smell the roses!!! Well, until next week, my goal this coming week is to "EAT" and "DRINK" so i will let ya'll know how it all went, I CAN DO THIS!!!

Linda,

Good to hear from you. I've been wondering where you've been and how you are doing? I'm one week behind you. Today I'm officially out of XRT 1 week. I've managed to keep sipping water and to eat some mother's oats. How is your throat pain? Are you still on pain Meds? Do you have thick mucous/phlegm? Great job so far and you can do it because you are strong.