#85701 12-09-2008 06:09 AM | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | OP  "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 | Two or three days ago the liquid diet started to taste better. VHC, Boost and Ensure where all tolerable. Then yesterday I was able to taste honey in my tea! And VHC tasted not that bad...Then as the day went on the taste of sweetness became very strong. By the end of the day VHC and Boost was like drinking pure sugar, one teaspoon of honey in my hot tea was overpowering. I remember VHC tasting like pancake mix pre-tx...now it's like a can of sugar? I take this as a good sign, a very good sign but this took me by surprise. I always expected my sweet taste buds to come back last or not at all. Everyone sure is different...hope I keep it.
7-16-08 age 37@Dx, T3N0M0 SCC 4.778cm tumor, left side of oral tongue, non smoker, casual drinker, I am the 4th in my family to have H&N cancer
8-13-08 left neck dissection and 40% of tongue removed, submandibular salivary gland & 14 nodes clean, no chemo, IMRTx35
11-4-08 Recovering & feeling better
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Ray, good luck with those sweet tastes. It seems that they get too strong . I wish the taste buds and saliva would come back and improve all the food. Even fruit juice fires these "Sweet Buds" up. I keepmy biotene tooth paste at the ready along with the biotene mouth wash for these times.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | My ability to taste sweets never left me and never spiked like what you described either but I do now enjoy eating sweet things the most which is not a good thing.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 60 Likes: 2 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 60 Likes: 2 | One thinking I missed is having a Hot Fudge Sunday, Pumpkin Pie and cakes. I have found out since I have had my radiation treatments. I can not handle anything sweet at all. When I go out to dinner I will order appetizer and then my main course. To me the appetizer is my dessert. One good is that I lost weight with out all of the sugar going into my body.
Round 1 5/2007 - 35 Rad treatments and 6 chemo of cisplatin
TPN feeding for 5 months during treatment and after.
Tumor was on the right side of the tongue.
Round 2. Tumor on the lower back right jaw area. Surgery on 3/12/2010 to remove the tumor, rebuild the jaw and some work on the back tongue.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | One thing about cancer is that it seems to be one of the most effective diets around, second only to shark attacks and being born in Ethiopia...
I still can't taste sweet, but I AM enjoying pumpkin pie season -- I just skip the whipped cream except as a food lubricant!
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | When I was beginning to eat solid foods post Tx I found that ordering off the childrens menu was perfect since I just couldn't eat a regular portion for many reasons.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | OP "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 | That's a good idea order from the children's menu or an appetizer
7-16-08 age 37@Dx, T3N0M0 SCC 4.778cm tumor, left side of oral tongue, non smoker, casual drinker, I am the 4th in my family to have H&N cancer
8-13-08 left neck dissection and 40% of tongue removed, submandibular salivary gland & 14 nodes clean, no chemo, IMRTx35
11-4-08 Recovering & feeling better
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 228 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 228 | I'm the same way. My sweet taste buds and my sour taste buds are working over time! Even juice tastes super sweet to me. So now, I basically drink milk and water. I do still like chocolate a lot and fruit if I cut it with peanut butter. Oh, and the other thing, I can taste the difference in different types of waters - I guess chemicals and stuff. I don't remember ever really being able to tell before and now there's some water I won't drink because of the taste.
Stephanie, 23, SCC on the right side of my tongue, surgery on 5-19-08, over half my tongue removed, free flap constructed from my forearm, bilateral neck dissection, one positive node. Radiation (32) and chemo (carboplatin) started on 6-16-08. Recurrence 4/09 in lungs.
**** Stephanie passed away 12.15.09.... RIP our dear friend****
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