When will I be able to eat real food?

gazelleToo
gazelleToo Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Five weeks ago my friend finished seven weeks of radiation/chemo for tonsil cancer that went to nodes. He has been trying to eat noodles made with various sauces but coughs a lot when he swallows...even with other soft foods. He was wondering when he will be able to eat real food like a hamberger, steak etc...he is off his pain patches.

Comments

  • AuthorUnknown
    AuthorUnknown Member Posts: 1,537 Member
    #2
    Give it time. It took me almost 4 months after radiation to eat solid soft food again after tongue cancer. I still can't eat everything I once could as I have severe dry mouth which makes eating certain foods impossible.

    Make sure he sees a speech pathologist that specializes in swallowing to have them make sure it is safe for him to eat properly. Radiation does strange things to the muscles and coughing is probably a sign that the food isn't going down properly. They will be able to do tests to watch the way he swallows to make sure it is safe.
  • lotusflower
    lotusflower Member Posts: 5
    #3
    I had the same cancer, noodles aren't suggested they are too long. Soft wet food, scrambled eggs chase with milk, lasanga, mac and cheese w/ broccoli (stouffers), cut up all the food small, eating slow can't be stressed enough. I ended my treatment in june and i still have trouble but it gets better every couple months. my e-mail address Dharmanature@comcast.net the "D" is a capital D. look forward to hearing from you or your friend.
  • gazelleToo
    gazelleToo Member Posts: 2
    #4
    Thanx for your help both of you. He tried to eat beans and weenies the other day and boy was that a mistake!!! But he wanted so badly to have them. He tried scrambled eggs and he could eat them! I made him tuna noodle casserol with angel hair noodles (cut up noodles) with glass milk and he could eat them too...but he would rather have a steak (-: One of his big problems was that he was washing down his food with water, he found milk is a whole lot better. He will ask about the speech pathologist on his next dr visit. thanx!

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