Vitamins

I have a hard time with big pills so I take gummy vitamins for adults.  It's like a treat and vitamin. 

I had the same problem. I finally found a multivitamin at Meijers that is about the size of a ibuprofen tablet. I can get these down fine.

KTeacher said:

Good to hear from you

Dr. Mary, it was so good to see your name on the post.  Think of you and Doug often.  Your new teaching job is not so new anymore!  I know Doug was helping in your area with 1 to 1 support.  I never get passed the year mark and have had reoccurances, build me up, knock me down.  This last is a long and slow process, just hit a bump in the road at the middle of treatment, infection in the incision site.  About vitamins, my daughter had a lap band surgery (has lost more than 90 lbs and got  pregnant in the process) she was encouraged to take liquid vits as pills are difficult for her to swallow.  Healthy New Year to you and Goalie.

glad to see you back.

Pat

KTeacher said:

Good to hear from you

Dr. Mary, it was so good to see your name on the post.  Think of you and Doug often.  Your new teaching job is not so new anymore!  I know Doug was helping in your area with 1 to 1 support.  I never get passed the year mark and have had reoccurances, build me up, knock me down.  This last is a long and slow process, just hit a bump in the road at the middle of treatment, infection in the incision site.  About vitamins, my daughter had a lap band surgery (has lost more than 90 lbs and got  pregnant in the process) she was encouraged to take liquid vits as pills are difficult for her to swallow.  Healthy New Year to you and Goalie.

I'm delighted to see you post!!  How are you??? 

p

GNC makes a chewable tablet that I use every day. It is a very good multi vitamin. I don't rember the name, but it comes in a large plastic bottle that is bronze like in color. Two tablets / day, and it does not taste bad. Same consistency as an antacid tablet. The gummed are good too, but I have trouble swallowing them.

Tonsil Dad said:

Vitamins

Just do a search on the internet for LIQUID VITAMINS and then

for VITAMIN SPRAYS , all sorts of goodies come up. I take a natural multivitamin

but its a rather large capsule but then again I have no problem swallowing.

Bye the way there is also a POWDERED multivitamin called ALIVE and thats

got everything and more ( fruits , veg, aminos, ect..) that also comes in liquid form. 

Hope this helps.

God bless

Tonsil dad,

Dan

OK, well, since DrMary broke the silence and people ask about us, let me tell you. I have about a half hour before I have to pack up and go play hockey so that should give you an indication of how things are.

First, for you new folks, I was HPV+ STC tonsil and lymph node. I am just past two years out of rads and chemo and just less than two years out of a clean-up neck dissection that took 26 lymph nodes.They did a tonsillectomy to start.

On the whole, everything is WONDERFUL. My scans have all been clean and after the last one my rad onc said he didn’t want to see me until May. It won’t be long before every 6 months goes to every year, I hope. It took a bit but I gained back all 45+ pounds I lost and, if anything, am in better shape and more muscular than before. I play hockey 3-4 times a week and, where the first year back was only to Mexico for work, last year included Africa and Brazil and Colombia and I forget where else. Mary massages the neck scar every day with vitamin E oil and I have to stretch and point it out or no one would know; I had a master surgeon.

Mary’s picture was from two years ago and I have gained since then and she is much fitter and stronger now. She is doing Tae Kwon Do now (son and daughter both black belts) and doing physical things she never thought possible. She is great. Perhaps she will change her pic to the latest one.

On the other hand, there is never a minute when I don’t know I had cancer. I can work at the computer without difficulty but still need water to speak at length or to eat – yes, I still “foobricate”! Playing hockey is OK because I get enough breaks to take a squirt every couple of minutes but I played soccer in Brazil and was just dying of parched mouth after five minutes of running. I will send a link to a TV talk show (!) I was on and a speech I gave recently. It was a little like the Marx Bros in Night at the Opera.

It has been 2 ½ years since I had a meal that I could just eat without any thinking or eat quickly. Mary is still an angel and makes food that is easy to eat and she and my son (and the others when they visit) still wait patiently for me. Lately it seems that I have gone backward a bit in my ability to swallow and this is troubling. I have promised to see the Dr and a physical therapist. I have also been having increasing neck muscle spasms. Before it was only really painful if I did sit-ups or similar but lately it has just gone into spasm when I twisted or held it badly. Believe me, not having complete mobility in your neck is not a good thing for a hockey goalie! At first I thought it was due to the neck dissection but now wonder if it wasn't the rads. By the way, teeth are perfect but it is frequent brushing and fluroide trays at night.  The tinnitus is also pretty annoying but, while the med onc thinks that acupuncture might help the dry mouth, he thinks there is nothing to do about the ringing. He apologizes since it was likely his cisplatin that did it but those are the chances you take. If it boosted the chances of cure by another 10-20% or whatever, that was a gamble worth taking. But I love classical music and between that and the central air whoosh I can put up with the tinnitus.

KTeacher, I have offered any number of times here with my docs when they say they have another patient who is not doing well. I send my number and caringbridge info and such but the takers have been few. I do wish I could help more.

Anyway, this is perhaps more than anyone wanted to hear but there it is. If you happen to be coming here for the inauguration, please come stay with us. We are on the metro line in to DC. We both send our new year’s greetings and our biggest hugs to everyone. Doug (Goalie)

fisrpotpe said:

board

i put my vitamin's on cutting board and with knife just make them smaller like 1/3rds , works for me. 

john 

with Gummi Vites...

I have them in a multi vitamin formula and calcium.If they made lipitor in a gummy version then I would be more compliant. PS they are less blurry in real life...

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