Cancer Pain after treatment

Captain Australia

Hey There

Having gone through the chemo radiation for HPV+ tonsil cancer, I'm now in that 'limbo time' ... But not the funny dance under the stick ... The time where you are pensively waiting for your PET scan and hopefully NED outcome.

(I already had my 3 month scan but it was inconclusive due to too much damage, inflammation and mucus .. About 6 weeks to go until my re-scan)

I have a question about post-treatment pain.

I've experienced horrible mucositis, and the pain, blood and vomiting that goes with it.  It's just now starting to get better although still quite mucusy.

Now, when I cough, I sometimes feel a kind of tearing pain at the site where my cancer was... Also sometimes the cough feels very much like the cough I suffered pre-cancer where I'd have massive coughing fits resulting in gagging and vomiting.

(sorry, gross)

Anyway what I'd like to ask is:

- did you have a cough before and after treatment ?

- did you still get the NED 'all clear' or was the cough and pain at the tumour site later discovered that it indicated cancer still remained ?

So basically wondering if these symptoms may indicate that I still have cancer or if they're a normal side effect of the damage and inflammation from treatment.

Thanks for your time

 

 

AnotherSurvivor

Okay, I'm no oncol, but IF

Okay, I'm no oncol, but IF (and that is a big IF) you still have cancer, it is much reduced as is any tumor.  It seems unlikely that anything left could be presenting that much misery.   On the other hand, I am 14 weeks post, and still have swelling and the occasional pain, and I was pronounced NED  two weeks ago.  Mucus comes from damaged tissue.  If tumors ouzzed blood and mucus it'd be a hell of a lot easier to find them.  My bet is the mucus is from tissue, and the pain is from tightening muscles.  Have you been doing your stretching exercises?

Captain Australia

AnotherSurvivor said:

Okay, I'm no oncol, but IF

Okay, I'm no oncol, but IF (and that is a big IF) you still have cancer, it is much reduced as is any tumor.  It seems unlikely that anything left could be presenting that much misery.   On the other hand, I am 14 weeks post, and still have swelling and the occasional pain, and I was pronounced NED  two weeks ago.  Mucus comes from damaged tissue.  If tumors ouzzed blood and mucus it'd be a hell of a lot easier to find them.  My bet is the mucus is from tissue, and the pain is from tightening muscles.  Have you been doing your stretching exercises?

Thanks for the reply

I've been focussing on getting enough protein, and have been stretching/swallowing .. but I was unlucky with the mucositis side effects (which, in combination with a GERD issue, became pretty grim).

I have to wait some weeks before I can get re-scanned, so I guess I was reaching out to hear that "I also had cough, mucus and pain, and I'm disease-free", and you've given me that, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  It helps me hang onto hope while in limbo-land (and not the cool dance with the stick).

Re-focussing my efforts to get more protein (they suggest something like 180 grams per day, which can be tricky on a limited diet!) and exercise the damaged area is important, so thank you also for the great advice.