Hi everybody i thought i would give everyone a update 3 months out of treatment peg removed about 4 weeks ago i have been eating for about 2 months and its still painful ,oh how i long to eat some of the BC food (before cancer) a bacon sandwich , curry , chocolate, cakes , just the thought would make my mouth water if i had working saliva glands , i am now beginning to start to feel OK still no saliva my water bottle is my constant companion,( i think there could be a nice little earner here water bottle holders by prada just clip on your belt a ideal present for the cancer sufferer) i am not putting on any weight as such i lost 3.5 stones and as soon as i seem to put some on of it comes again i think its because i fell better i do some thing and just burn the calories up i have just had 2 weeks hols on my narrowboat something at one time i did not think i would ever do again and can ride my motorbike again not far but i can ride ,my only problems are dry mouth , i get tired very quickly , and my temper is shorter , the doctor says that my saliva may not come back and my other two problems are connected you see i always thought that having this wonderful disease would be quite straight forward there would be one of two outcomes I would have the treatment and would be cured and life gets back to normal , or i would have the treatment and it would not work and i would die , what i did not think but i am coming to terms with is that there was another option i would survive but things would not be quite back to normal at the moment this appears to be happening i am having a easy time compared to some of us my only problem is my own selfishness i want to recover quicker , my doctor has told me that i have done very well up to now but this may be as good as it gets and if there is any improvement on my saliva ,taste buds , or tiredness to treat it like a bonus and i think he is right hopefully this will calm my temper down , why can it not be like the films i hoped if i survived this it would make me a better person not one with a shorter temper and moaning all the time , so there you go that's me finished spouting of for a while , and as my end of school term report always said , Allan must try harder (and i promise i will ) .... i have posted this in this section as i do not wish to chance fate by posting in the survivor section as yet , . by for now Allan

Allan,
I am a bit behind you, just 2 month post rad... and I have been concerned about some of the same stuff.
Here is what I collected (with thanks to Gary) (search for: Topic: Loss of taste, permanent??)

Taste can take up to a year to recover, same with glands. To be sure the sequence and timing will also depend on the amount of radiation that particular gland (there are a few) or bud received. The increased activity will burn up more calories, that together with food that does not taste right or taste at all is a problem. You can always use boost or carnation instant breakfast to augment.

You just need to give it time and be patient. (and just so that you know, I am not a patient person myself).

Markus

you did it for us too allan .

much love and remember what i said months ago.

Cherish that wife of yours!!!!