Sone...you are doing great. I'm sorry I don't have suggestions since our treatment is different but I'm here cheering you on everyday!!! It makes me so happy when I hear how you are doing. Can you believe you are more than half way!!!

Sone,
I was thrilled to read your post about the Biotene products. They really do provide some relief from the awful side effects of radiation. Have your husband make another trip to Walgreens and purchase the Biotene Dry Mouth Gum. I forgot to mention it in my previous post. My husband chews it all the time and takes it with him when we go hiking. If you have mouth sores, you might have to wait awhile to use it. Your jaw will get a lot of stimulation with the chewing action and it helps to keep the mouth moist. You have 12 treatments left and a few weeks after treatment ends that will still be difficult, but YOU are doing this and getting through it. This journey is so difficult on many different levels and not just physical. YOU dug deep down and with some tough love from this forum, YOU found the strength and determination to continue. Kudos to you and you will emerge into the light at the end of the tunnel stronger than you ever thought possible. Keep posting... Geri

22 down and 11 to go!!

More sores, more swelling, more pain, less voice....

I have another question since you all are so helpful. It is getting more difficult each day to swallow. The muscles in my neck just don't seem to want to swallow anymore. (On a sidenote, the muscles around my neck dissection are spasming and are hard as a rock). Are there any exercises that I could be doing now to strengthen those muscles to reduce the chances that I will lose the ability to swallow? Or, do I just have to hope? I'm not currently working with any type of physical therapist or speech therapist because my RO said to wait until after my treatments were complete, but I'm just wondering if there is something I could be doing now to help those swallowing muscles?

As always, thanks for your help and support!
Sone

Sone. Very good job. You should be proud of yoruself for your determination to continue. I know its not easy and as time goes on it gets more difficult. To help with swallowing, just keep doing it. Just small sips of water several times per day will help.

Im not familiar with the neck muscle spasms or with a neck dissection. Many others here have had that done and will be able to help you with that.

Keep up the good work, you are almost finished.

Sone,

I lost my voice for a solid three weeks...My GF and some others thought I was faking in order to ignore them..I wasn't faking...

re loosing voice:
I had that too, it was not so much loosing it than speaking being extremely uncomfortable (as was swallowing). For short term use I took lidocaine but for the majority of the time I just did not talk and used a pad and hand signals (so they say!)

M

2 weeks and you are done!

Sone, do try and continue swallowing each and every day. I don't remember if you have a Peg or not? When my mouth started to "lock up" I would do what I called a "controlled yawn" meaning I would yawn and fire those muscles but control how far I opened my mouth but I felt it was important to continue keep both my swallowing muscles and my jaw opening muscles working. I may have been just lucky or my tissues were just not as damaged as others during Tx or this may have benefited me but I have never had any post Tx swallowing or trismus issues.

Sone, the last two weeks I was crying every time I sat on that table because I knew how much worse things would get. It only lasted less than a minute because crying hurt too. It was really tough, but I plowed through it, and it's behind me. It's been two months, and my mouth is dry, I wake up every 2-3 hours for a drink (I found that water works just as well as anything else that costs money, but everyone is different, and everyone's salivary function or lack thereof depends on where and how strong radiation was targeted). But it's so so so much better than it was the last two weeks of treatment and about a month after it ended. It's night and day. Keep going! You're almost done!

23 down and 10 to go!!

I can't believe I've gotten this far! You're right, every treatment is soooooo hard.

I'm down from 20 tongue depressers to 16. Bummer. I'll keep stretching, and thanks for the controlled yawn suggestion, I'll try that.

Swallowing is really tough today, but I'm forcing the issue. I've come this far without a PEG, and I don't want one now. Anyone work with a speech therapist who gave you swallowing exercises? I'm not sure if they can help in that area, but if they can, I will demand to start working with one now.

Also my nasal passages keep swelling shut. Since breathing through my mouth is NOT an option (that's torture for sure), I asked my RO today for a recommendation. He suggested using Afrin Nasal Spray, but isn't that stuff addicting? I don't want to use any more drugs that I'll have to wean myslef off of, since the massive level of narcotics I'm taking will be hard enough. I was using Sudafed, but the RO didn't like that option since it could possibly dry me out more (which I don't think it's possible to be dryer than bone dry!). Anyone use Afrin?

Hugs and prayers and squeeks to all.
Sone

Yeah, only 10 more

I use Nasonex prescription nasal apray. I also have a few others Ive been given. They all work and are not addicting (at least not to me). I was also given prescription sinutab to help with the sinuses.

I used a physical therapist for trismus (restricted mouth opening). When I started I was 2 sticks and moved up to max 6 which hurt like heck. You do not want those problems, so stretch like crazy

Try tiny sips of water. Sorry but I didnt use a speech therapist for swallowing, but did see one for pronounciation a couple times.