Salava glands

D-Byrd
D-Byrd Member Posts: 25
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hey everyone, I hope all of you aare doing well this morning. I have a question reguarding salava glands. I had my left salava gland removed when I had the radical left neck disection and both sides of my neck were radiated. Have any of you been through this and if so, did your taste come back in a certain time frame or are you still not tasting things?

I am 6 weeks out from my last rad and still not tasting anything, and it is starting to bother me. I would love to hear if any of you went through a similar experience or is it just me? Thanks for your time!!!!


D-Byrd

Comments

  • meinken
    meinken Member Posts: 38
    #2
    I am 4 months out from
    I am 4 months out from radiation and I have gained back most of my ability to taste. The only exception is sweet. I can usually taste the sugar in the first couple of sips of sweet tea, but then I lose it.

    My radiation oncologist, said it would be about 3-5 months after treatment before taste started comming back and he was right on, for me.
  • D-Byrd
    D-Byrd Member Posts: 25
    #3
    meinken said:

    I am 4 months out from
    I am 4 months out from radiation and I have gained back most of my ability to taste. The only exception is sweet. I can usually taste the sugar in the first couple of sips of sweet tea, but then I lose it.

    My radiation oncologist, said it would be about 3-5 months after treatment before taste started comming back and he was right on, for me.

    Did you have you salava glands removed?
    Did you have any of your salava glands removed and was the rad treatments on both sides of your neck?
  • meinken
    meinken Member Posts: 38
    #4
    D-Byrd said:

    Did you have you salava glands removed?
    Did you have any of your salava glands removed and was the rad treatments on both sides of your neck?

    no but they are pretty much
    no but they are pretty much burned out. I am dry as a bone and need to keep a bottle of water with me at all times. I did have radiation on both sides and back of my neck
  • D-Byrd
    D-Byrd Member Posts: 25
    #5
    meinken said:

    no but they are pretty much
    no but they are pretty much burned out. I am dry as a bone and need to keep a bottle of water with me at all times. I did have radiation on both sides and back of my neck

    Sorry you are going through this
    Sorry you are going through this and I hope your recovery time is speedy. I am a little upset because all my docs told me my taste would be back by now but nothing. Just have to keep waiting and maybe sommething new will pop up. Take carfe of yourself and I also have to keep a gallon of water beside me too : o ) .
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #6
    Wait and See
    Unfortunately your are going to have to do another wait and see.

    I am 14 plus years post treatment and mine have not come back. I go most by smell and texture. I have followed many in our local Head and neck cancer support group. I know of no one who have gland removed, but I can say most all have had them fried and have extremely dry mouth. I have seen some taste come back as early as 4/5 months, some slightly after 10/12 months and some like mine do not come back. One who is just over 2 years post treatments where they even had the newest radiation equipment to help protect certain area's who has not seen anything in taste come back but has been able to swallow easier as time goes by.

    Patience is most important with the wait and see game. Blessing to you for surviving the ugly treatments. Now dealing with survivorship challenge requires more of the patience. This was not what you were looking for, sorry.

    John
  • Kaylee-parotid
    Kaylee-parotid Member Posts: 16
    #7
    total parotidectomy
    Hi, I had a total left parotidectomy, followed by radiotherapy - 37 treatments, wedged pair - so one side of my head and neck. Got my taste back after 6 weeks - which I gather makes me one of the lucky ones. Hope yours comes back quickly too.
  • james chambliss
    james chambliss Member Posts: 70
    #8
    Kaylee-parotid said:

    total parotidectomy
    Hi, I had a total left parotidectomy, followed by radiotherapy - 37 treatments, wedged pair - so one side of my head and neck. Got my taste back after 6 weeks - which I gather makes me one of the lucky ones. Hope yours comes back quickly too.

    Hard times
    These are hard times and you don't know what you will or will not get back. My mouth is extremely dry as well, but i pretty much taste anything i put in my mouth. Texture can sometimes suck on things like pudding, but that's o.k. I can swallow most food. Though i am starting to change my diet for health reason. Which i feel is needed to beat cancer and put it behind me. I have do 4 rounds of chemo now and have been done with radiation for about 8 weeks now. I hope the best for you!


    James

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