How far out were you when were you able to eat regular food again?

Tammy
You can't judge by others and I would warn you not to become so anxious for normal that you force it and mess up. I know because I did that probably worse than anyone on the board. He is healing now and will know when he can eat again and if you have a deadline and don't make it then he will get frustrated and depressed. Everyone can and will tell you how long it took them but the fact is; IT ALL DEPENDS.

Only promise now is he is healing and will be to his new normal a bit each day. Be happy for that.

Denny

PS My first normal food was bread pudding. Burnt like hell but I at it and then three more.

Every one is different.
Denny has a good point. Not to be a Debbie Downer, or I suppose a Dawnie Downer in my case, but It can take a while. Once you are done with radiation, you don't usually start feeling better right away, a lot of us got worse, because you continue to cook for a couple of weeks. It can be really frustrating and pretty depressing.

Could be a couple months or more for him to be eating mostly normal.

Being in severe pain with radiation with my mouth and tongue SUCKED, but not being able to eat, by far, sucked even more. It was frustrating not to be able to eat. I'm not a nice person when I'm cranky, and man, was I cranky. I am still here though, at almost three years out from when I found the lump in my neck, and I am eating good foods, albeit extremely slowly (I have a stricture) and I have had to learn how to prepare foods differently and change my diet, but I am thrilled to be eating and cooking again. I was always a girl who 'lived to eat', so I am counting my blessings and happy to be peg free.

If he has maintained his weight with out a peg tube, that is excellent. That could mean he may return to eating foods more quickly than some. I was completely reliant on my peg for food for 9 months and had it for a total of 18 months, which is a very long time, and not really the norm.

Taste and smell will slowly come back, and most people start with smoothies, soft foods, and things like puréed soups first. Sometimes there are foods you may have to avoid after having had radiation for a while or forever that can cause mouth sores and irritation. Like high acid foods, like tomatoes, vinegar, pineapple, papaya....

Wishing you both well. Hope your hubby finishes his treatment and his healing time is quick.

Sweet

Define "eat regular food"
The answer depends on what you mean by "eat regular food". I still depend on a lot of liquids, nutritional shakes and Carnation Instant Breakfast, and I'm over a year out from treatment. However, I never did completely quit eating regular foods. Hc can probably start to try, as soon as his mouth and throat heal up enough that it doesn't hurt to do so. Very soft cooked foods, in very tiny bites, very slowly, with lukewarm liquids nearby to assist the swallow. I found soft eggs and soft vegetables to be the best.

When I was in treatment, I wanted to eat their tri-tip and prime rib so bad, I'd put my face into my family members' plates and just inhale the wonderful smells. I'd actually put a bite into my mouth to test the flavor, and then spit it out. As I continued to heal, I was actually able to chew up tiny bits, and then even later, to swallow them. Kind of gross, but yummy. Taste does come back, so always keep trying the tasteless stuff. Eventually, you will be able to taste it again. I did find that I wasted a lot of food for a while. He will get there.

Deb

Hi Tammy
Like everyone said we are all different so take it easy on putting a time frame on when taste and eating will come back.

My first taste was 2 ½ months after treatment stopped and it was Popeye chicken. It was just a small taste like taste in my mouth, but it was all that I needed to tell my brain it was coming back. Nothing is the same after treatment we call it our New Normal.

PS: Welcome to the family here on CSN
Hondo