what to expect at the end of treatment

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arndog64
arndog64 Member Posts: 537
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband is just about done with his treatments. What happens next?

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  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #2
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    Time to recuperate
    It's a time of rest if at all possible. He will be weakened and so will his immune system and entire body. Red blood cell production is still months away from normal. A time to be guarded and watched carefully. Perhaps new things to manage daily, Like diet and a feeding tube? Medication to monitor and keep track of. Lots of emotional stuff going on so be cognizant of depression and anxiety in the weeks to come. Also a time for living so cherish and enjoy him.
  • glabita
    glabita Member Posts: 1
    #3
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    Not sure what treatment
    Not sure what treatment consisted of, though i had Tonsil CA. Treatment of 46 Rads, and 7 chemos, Taxol and carboplatin... finished 6/08, then had modified radical neck dissection with intraoprerative blast of Rad for good mesure. Never to early for swallow and neck range of motion exercises. Get with a swallow therapist and lymphodema therapist, for i had issues with both. Still do to an extent, though, a small price to pay in my book. Best of luck with recovery and stay well!!

    Gregg
  • KristynRuth86
    KristynRuth86 Member Posts: 140
    #4
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    glabita said:

    Not sure what treatment
    Not sure what treatment consisted of, though i had Tonsil CA. Treatment of 46 Rads, and 7 chemos, Taxol and carboplatin... finished 6/08, then had modified radical neck dissection with intraoprerative blast of Rad for good mesure. Never to early for swallow and neck range of motion exercises. Get with a swallow therapist and lymphodema therapist, for i had issues with both. Still do to an extent, though, a small price to pay in my book. Best of luck with recovery and stay well!!

    Gregg

    Hooray!
    I'm so happy for y'all that he is almost at the end! The only thing that will change right away is the hassle of having to commute to treatment every day. Rest rest rest!!! For me it took about 4 weeks before I actually felt any signigicant amount of "betterness", but it was almost an over night thing for me. I felt icky one day the next day I woke up and what was that..? ENERGY??? I missed you!! lol ok I'm ranting now, but I'm so excited that he's on his way to feeling better!! But please tell him to take it easy and rest up!
  • palmyrafan
    palmyrafan Member Posts: 396
    #5
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    Finishing Treatments
    Rest is going to be crucial. He will feel wiped out and that is normal. Be careful that he does not overdo it, and yet make sure that he does still get a bit of exercise every day, the exercise will help build his energy levels.

    Nutrition is also going to be important and it is sometimes easy to think that because treatment is over that we can go back to bad eating habits. He needs to be careful now more than ever. His immune system will be down and he needs all the vitamins, minerals and balanced diets he can manage.

    Don't forget to keep a daily journal or log as well. Monitor your husband and make note of anything that doesn't seem right. Side effects from treatment, lethargy, depression, etc. This will help you if you need to talk to the doctor about anything.

    Also, make sure you schedule all the follow-up appointments that may be needed in the next few months and get them on the calendar. It will help when planning your weekly calendar.

    Best of luck to you and your husband and I hope he makes a complete and speedy recovery!

    Teresa
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
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    ratface said:

    Time to recuperate
    It's a time of rest if at all possible. He will be weakened and so will his immune system and entire body. Red blood cell production is still months away from normal. A time to be guarded and watched carefully. Perhaps new things to manage daily, Like diet and a feeding tube? Medication to monitor and keep track of. Lots of emotional stuff going on so be cognizant of depression and anxiety in the weeks to come. Also a time for living so cherish and enjoy him.

    The Finish Line

    Now comes the healing part, it will take a few months as the radiation and chemo affects will continue to do its job, but everyday will get better and better. Like rat said be carful as your immune system is still very weak, stay away from people who are sick. As soon as you can get on some good fresh fruits, but be carful the mouth is still very sore. Good nutrition is a must to staying in good health.

    All the best on crossing over the finish line.
    Hondo
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #7
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    Slowness
    I'm sure you've heard by now "everyone's different" so I won't write that to you. For me it was a continuation of everything I had put in place to get me through treatment without the daily drive to get zapped. Though the whole round-trip ordeal only took an hour or so it seemed to give me more time than that when it was gone. I was able to spend that time doing the things I enjoy; reading, hiking/walking, napping, praying, etc.. I found it necessary to get out of the house for a month and let the treatment vibes air out. I found a nice little cottage on the coast to do just that and healed up in a beautiful, serene environment. I kept up my nutrition, increased my calories and exercise as much as was comfortable and melted down emotionally on a daily basis until I got it all out. It's been over 4 months now and I feel good most of the time. Lhermitte's syndrome reminds me what happened as does the ringing in my ears, the tightness in my jaw and some cotton mouth here and there. The first month was pretty rough though. I'd say to expect that but maybe better would be to not expect it but not be too alarmed if it happens. As your husband tapers off his pain meds he'll start feeling his body more and there will be some discomfort pretty much all over. Talk to your medical team about everything happening and of course share it with all of us here for the experience based views. Congratulations on making it. I know what that must have required. Keep at it until he feels good. That is gonna happen soon. Expect that!

    Bob
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #8
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    What The Others Said
    I also felt a little odd, little like I was missing a step when treatment finished - it was weird going from seeing medical pros every day for some treatment, checkup or bloodwork to seeing a doc once a month. I was also anxious at the thought that I was no longer actively fighting the cancer, just hoping that what we'd done was enough. I also felt the strain of being forced to wait again - waiting for scans this time. And although I knew I should not expect to start feeling better right away, I was put out that I was in the majority - I had really hoped I'd start feeling better before I actually did. Like everyone else will say - eat, drink and don't take it TOO easy - getting up and moving every day makes it easier to get up and move. Do well.

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