Base of Tongue Cancer/Head Neck Cancer

SuzJ

Sorry

sounds fairly normal. I managed a spoonful of .. whatever .. at a time

tbret

If at first you don't succeed

Yes.  I have had exactly what you experience with the Ensure.  I used to go to the garage (so there were no witnesses) and take an extra bottle.  Sometimes I was successful keeping it down.  Sometimes, I wasn't.  Then I'd have to open the other one, say a prayer or at least instruct my stomach on proper behavior, and drink it.  Interesting thing about that was that I was almost always able to keep down the second and third bottles if the first came back up.  There were weeks when the first bottle was just sort of a "primer" that helped keep the next one down. 

I think this lasted two or three weeks.  It wasn't any fun.  I'm sure you aren't having fun with it, either.

I had right tonsil and throat on its way to the base of my tongue - a lymph node full, too.

I am sorry you are having to cope with this.   

One foot in front of the other.  One Ensure after the other ( I did better with Glucerna after a while - but I had nothing solid to eat for about five months).

I don't know any tips or tricks other than to keep trying until you succeed.  Success is all that's important.

FRANKGRAND

Base of Tongue Cancer/Radiation Effects Question

I had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on the base of my tongue on October 5, 2021. I also had a neck dissection on the left side.  I had 2 of 38 lymph nodes test positive. I am scheduled to undergo chemo/radiation of the mouth and neck. I am overwhelmed at the number of side effects and long term effects that I am facing. Of particular concern is loss of taste and dry mouth due to the damage that will be done to the saliva glands. I would appreciate anyone who could address those issues from experience. Are they as bad as I they sound. I am 74 years old and on the fence as to weather to do this or not.

LitlCJdoll

Welcome, but sorry

Hello Frank, 

We welcome you here but so sorry you had to seek out this discussion board in the first place.

It would be better to start your own Post,, because you've tagged onto this old one, but so he it...

Can you tell us a little more, like what Stage you are?  

Are you at a Comprehensive Cancer Center/ teaching hospital full of the latest treatment options?

 

Dear, if you do not treat the cancer with Standard of Care treatments, and go after it aggressively--- then it can spread/ metastasize to other distant sites.. 

Cancer doesn't just Stop on its own. It must be addressed with treatments which have been tested over time, in many other people .

Yes, cancer treatments are Harsh... But they have to be !!  

I am too tired and sick tonight to go into everything ( just out of the hospital, again)----- but Frank, everyone here who is a patient and a survivor has endured chemotherapy and radiation, and targeted therapies, immunotherapies,,....Massive surgeries, and lesser ones.

And we are all Here, to attest to the fact that we are all Still Here.  And to tell you that its no pleasant road, but its Doable.  

People here on thus forum are all different ages...  Surely you want this malignancy out of your body, right??

I'm going to shoot straight with you--------- In May, my boyfriend/ the love of my life died from Metastasized Head & Neck cancer. His was HPV positive and he was in that unlucky percentage whose cancer spread, to 5 different places in his body.

I was with him to the end, ( and I am Stage III Recurrent HNSCC)-----Randal NEVER ONCE gave up or gave in.  He refused Hospice and instead stayed on chemotherapy ( and immunotherapy and repeat radiation) for Years. 9 Years, in fact he fought cancer. 

He had just turned 60 this year. He So Wanted to Live !! 

But, it was his second Stage IV cancer, .... He passed away May 18th, 3:15 am.

Please Frank, read other posts here and Don't give up.

You are worried about Dry Mouth and losing Taste ???  Come on,... There are some of us who cannot eat at all, like me, ( and Randal)--- but Life is still worth living ....

Do you have grand kids?  Family?  I bet they treasure you and will help you get through it all.

Talk over all your concerns with your oncologists. They can reassure you that its all Doable .

LitlCJdoll

wbcgaruss

Hello Frank

And welcome to the H&N forum.
Sorry, you have to be here but this is a good place to get help and support.
Judging from the kind of surgery you had I would guess you are probably getting the standard 35 radiation treatments and 3 chemo treatments.
Or some variation of it.
Frank, you can do this.
Yes, the side effects are real but they vary by person.
The same treatment given to two different people and they will not have the exact same after-effects.
Usually, after treatment, you will have saliva and taste return but to what extent you won't know till you get to that point.
Some on here get a lot back, some get a fair amount some less.
But the point is we beat the disease and are living proof you can do it too.
I encourage you to go through with the treatment.
Your docs would not have prescribed the treatment if they didn't think you could do it and come out the other side and enjoy living.
You are definitely going to have some things different when you are done and we lovingly call that our New Normal.
I won't kid you the treatment is tough but we all went through it and came out the other side stronger in my opinion.
So my encouragement for you is to get the treatment.
Also, talk to your medical team and they can reassure you about your treatment plan.
Please keep us updated we are here to help.
Ask questions during your treatment and be here for the support we are here to help people through this situation.
You are not alone.

Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ