Tomorrow is ten days of treatment

Charmit

Hello everyone tomorrow marks tens days of treatment...10 rounds of radiation and 2 rounds of chemo. Today I noticed a change in the my mouth, NO pain just an over all yucky taste!!! Slight scratchy throat but nothing too bad. Extremely tired and hate that most foods taste like crap, how does one survive the nasty taste of food for all those weeks?? Fresh strawberries today was all that tasted good to me the rest...****!!

Question have any of you had your treatments cut short do to your body couldn’t handle anymore? I think I’m tolerating it all well last week had a spell of nausea Wednesday from the Cisplatin but this week I faired well...THANK GOD!! Well 26 more rounds Of radiation and 5 more of the chemo.... 

God Bless everyone and thanks for listening to me

Charlene

whoisjohngalt

tomorrow is 15 days for me

My throat started getting sore the weekend after my 10th treatment. By then food was so horrible I went to all smoothies, with a scope of whey for protein. On a scale of 1-10 for pain I was a 3 and it was doable with tylenol. Into my 3rd week the pain ramped up to a 7-8 and they prescribed liquid oxy every 4 hours, which knocks it down to a 3. My energy levels are like a roller coaster throughout the day. I generally feel worst at the end of the day and first thing in the morning. I have a great company that is letting me work from home as much or as little as am able. For me working even a little bit gives mee a sense of normalcy. I start short term disability next week until after labor day but plan on working whenever I'm up to it.

I'm more of a lurker than a contributer here, but it's reassuring to hear the tales of others who have gone before me.

Godspeed Charmit!

Charmit

whoisjohngalt said:

tomorrow is 15 days for me

My throat started getting sore the weekend after my 10th treatment. By then food was so horrible I went to all smoothies, with a scope of whey for protein. On a scale of 1-10 for pain I was a 3 and it was doable with tylenol. Into my 3rd week the pain ramped up to a 7-8 and they prescribed liquid oxy every 4 hours, which knocks it down to a 3. My energy levels are like a roller coaster throughout the day. I generally feel worst at the end of the day and first thing in the morning. I have a great company that is letting me work from home as much or as little as am able. For me working even a little bit gives mee a sense of normalcy. I start short term disability next week until after labor day but plan on working whenever I'm up to it.

I'm more of a lurker than a contributer here, but it's reassuring to hear the tales of others who have gone before me.

Godspeed Charmit!

Can I ask if your getting

Can I ask if your getting radiation to the entire neck or just one side? I’m getting just the left side five mins each day. I tried a smoothie today and it was gross, we shall see how the weeks to come play out. I’m anxious as to how I will feel each day but blessed I have another day to feel whether it be good or bad. Just wish in a blink of an eye this ordeal would be over, wishful thinking on parts by me and many others I’m sure.

Alpinelife

Charmit said:

Can I ask if your getting

Can I ask if your getting radiation to the entire neck or just one side? I’m getting just the left side five mins each day. I tried a smoothie today and it was gross, we shall see how the weeks to come play out. I’m anxious as to how I will feel each day but blessed I have another day to feel whether it be good or bad. Just wish in a blink of an eye this ordeal would be over, wishful thinking on parts by me and many others I’m sure.

Peg

Charmit,

The treatment your going through is no fun, but it can be survived (I’m living proof, as are many others). Eating will be increasing difficult, if you begin to have difficulty eating please consider a PEG. Stupidly I did everything possible to avoid it, and in the end became so weak (couldn’t eat or drink much) I had to be hospitalized and get a PEG anyway. The PEG helped in my recovery as well, and within 3 weeks post surgery it was removed. Just push through it and life will improve! Best of luck.

whoisjohngalt

Charmit said:

Can I ask if your getting

Can I ask if your getting radiation to the entire neck or just one side? I’m getting just the left side five mins each day. I tried a smoothie today and it was gross, we shall see how the weeks to come play out. I’m anxious as to how I will feel each day but blessed I have another day to feel whether it be good or bad. Just wish in a blink of an eye this ordeal would be over, wishful thinking on parts by me and many others I’m sure.

I am getting it to the entire neck.

There are hundreds of different smoothy recipes. I love chocolate normally but in a smoothy now they are disgusting. I usually stay with vanilla ice cream, heavy cream, vanilla yogurt, and some type of Boost or Ensure. For flavor I really like rasberry sherbert also. Just keep experimenting until you find something tolerable. It isn't necessarily about finding something you like (I don't think that is possible), but finding something that is not totally disgusting LOL.

And whatever you do, don't do the math on how many smoothies you'll drink before food has a taste again! 

You're doing fine, live in the moment, one day at a time.

Dean54

Food is still a battle

And I still can't taste much almost 6 months later. I can eat about anything but dry stuff but since it has no taste every meal is a challenge but we know that's the price we pay for our, hopefull cure.You are getting there Charlene, hang in there.

OKCnative

Taste of foods really only

Taste of foods really only gets worse from here on out. I just reminded myself it's temporary and it's part of the cure.

I was radiated on both sides and dead center of my chin for 15 minutes x35 doses. I didn't really notice anything until around week 5. Then it was liquid nourishment only (Boost VHC). You quickly realize how much you not only enjoyed food prior to treatment, but how much you also enjoyed the social aspect of eating. Those things will be gone for a time. Keep swallowing and keep using your throat and you'll recover quickly.

Sprint Car Dude

Look at that.

I remember the anxiety you had before you started. An look at you, already knocked 10 visits off the calendar. Congradulation, it will be over before you know it. You will be ringing the bell or gong for finishing your Rads before you know it. Safe to say your food choices are going to dwindle down quickly over the next few weeks. Just keep plugging away and stay hydrated. Gobble any proteins you can when you can. You Got This.

Charmit

Sprint Car Dude said:

Look at that.

I remember the anxiety you had before you started. An look at you, already knocked 10 visits off the calendar. Congradulation, it will be over before you know it. You will be ringing the bell or gong for finishing your Rads before you know it. Safe to say your food choices are going to dwindle down quickly over the next few weeks. Just keep plugging away and stay hydrated. Gobble any proteins you can when you can. You Got This.

Throat is extremly scracthy

Throat is extremly scracthy today and taste well worse then yesterday. Roof of mouth feels funny and had what looked like a blister in my mouth today but now is gone. Nutritionis and nurse said today to brace myself for the weeks to come. So I’m buckling up so to speak just hope the next five one quick and I’m not a nasty person snapping at everyone. As for the ringing of the gong, this girl can not wait!!! 

It‘s like I know what to expect and it scares me to death but I’m managing with a smile and a few tears along the way. After all if your all here telling me about your journey I to can walk it and hope one day to help someone the way you are all helping me. 

Charmit

OKCnative said:

Taste of foods really only

Taste of foods really only gets worse from here on out. I just reminded myself it's temporary and it's part of the cure.

I was radiated on both sides and dead center of my chin for 15 minutes x35 doses. I didn't really notice anything until around week 5. Then it was liquid nourishment only (Boost VHC). You quickly realize how much you not only enjoyed food prior to treatment, but how much you also enjoyed the social aspect of eating. Those things will be gone for a time. Keep swallowing and keep using your throat and you'll recover quickly.

Week five how lucky!! Well is

Week five how lucky!! Well is there’s any luck in any of this I guess there is. I’m just the left side 35 times for 5 mins each day and end of week two I feel a difference. But I guess have to find my path and comfort as to what to eat, right now most taste like crap. Was thinking of finding a doc to prescribe medical majuana I heard it help with a lot of the issues, willing to try anything so I don’t need a feeding tube. 

Darkdancer333

OKCnative said:

Taste of foods really only

Taste of foods really only gets worse from here on out. I just reminded myself it's temporary and it's part of the cure.

I was radiated on both sides and dead center of my chin for 15 minutes x35 doses. I didn't really notice anything until around week 5. Then it was liquid nourishment only (Boost VHC). You quickly realize how much you not only enjoyed food prior to treatment, but how much you also enjoyed the social aspect of eating. Those things will be gone for a time. Keep swallowing and keep using your throat and you'll recover quickly.

what i hate is all the taco

what i hate is all the taco bell, hamburger commercials on tv I want so bad!!!!!

Pizza

Billie67

Charmit said:

Week five how lucky!! Well is

Week five how lucky!! Well is there’s any luck in any of this I guess there is. I’m just the left side 35 times for 5 mins each day and end of week two I feel a difference. But I guess have to find my path and comfort as to what to eat, right now most taste like crap. Was thinking of finding a doc to prescribe medical majuana I heard it help with a lot of the issues, willing to try anything so I don’t need a feeding tube. 

You're getting there! I know

You're getting there! I know it may seem to you like you have forever to go before treatment is over but week by week is the best way to look at things. I just always looked forward to the weekends! 

As for taste, yep you are right on target. Everything to me tasted like crisco and paste and my mouth started to get super sore and raw feeling. Throat was scratchy too. I had my whole neck done so perhaps I might have been a bit ahead of you. Anyway, I couldn't really do smoothies, just couldn't do it. I tried so hard as everyone suggested them. My husband made me a lot of rootbeer floats which had somewhat of a taste to me. I ended up getting the peg and then ate mostly that way but still used my throat to swallow small sips all throughout the day. I went for IV hydration 3 times a week and those sweet nurses knew what I liked so they always sent down for vanilla ice cream and rootbeer and a cup so I could have that while being loaded wth fluids. Maybe some of these things will work for you. 

johnsonbl

You're tougher than you think you are....

Get through it all no matter what.  Remember the goal...receive all the prescribed treatment so that the cancer is wiped out.  They prescribe what they do for a reason, because it's the proven best way to kill the cancer cells.  You'll get through and like many on this board before you know it you'll be giving advice to all the scared newbies as a veteran.

Brandon