i hate this

Goyca, 

While I haven't had to go through this, my dad who I am very close to did.  I was also worried for him about the things you worry about and those are valid reasons to be scared and down.  Please try to stay positive!  I know it's hard, but my dad tried his best and bc of it... he has made it through! Around the same time as you he lost interest in food.  I was very scared bc he had to get a PEG tube, but in reality it was a life saver!!!  Hopefully you can avoid this, but I think losing taste so fast is common.  IF you do have to get a peg, my dad said it did not hurt really and neither did the removal he had just after a year. I hate hearing that people cannot enjoy food, but I know there are things 8 months out of treatment my dad started to enjoy.  Some things still aren't up to par...but hopefully it will get there!  Praying for you!  Keep your head up!

Cherie

My question is if you have concurrent chemo, or “only” radiation. I take that you only have radiation treatment. In my case I had both, so things are difficult to interpret/compare. I would say though that I started to have a low grade nausea from Day 1 of radiation, constant during the treatment (of course, exacerbated during chemo sessions). I started to lose taste at the beginning of 3rd week. It didn’t go south all of a sudden, it was more like altered taste, which went from bad to worse until the first couple of weeks post radiation. I didn’t have that metallic taste, but many others did. Besides nausea, ageusia (lack of taste) was the worst thing, as I used to enjoy eating very much. Now, 1y 9m post treatment I enjoy eating quite a bit, to the point that I have to refrain from eating everything I can or like, to avoid gaining more unwanted weight.

Hiya,

Rads are a drag but you will get through it. We all do, some skipping along, most dragging our butts, and some being dragged across the finish line. Depending on the day of the week you started, if you are nearly two weeks into rads, this is the common point where side effects start kicking in. My motto is as always NUTRITION -- HYDRATION -- PAIN MANAGEMENT. Do those three things right and you will roll on to the finish line and through recovery. Good luck, Don

when i started rad for parotid gland i lost taste 4 weeks in i struggled with eating and weight i lived as much as it hurt to drink and with no tast off ensure drinks full immune muscle and nutrion then i had to wash it down immediately with water i had no taste of food from week 4 to week 7 i lost 20 pounds you have to just do it g or get a feeding tube you know it sucks and you can get through it force yourself to drink those drinks and with or without taste of food like me you have to try to eat or drink something i was in the same boat i sstarted getting my tast back 2 weeks alittle after treatment and i had chemo and rad to my saliva gland and neck i have constant dry mouth have to have water by my side and dry mouth it sucks but if i make it its a trade off i chew sugerless gum alot of it to help for saliva your cicumstances are different but youve got to try and drink those drinks orr eat alittle bird food if that all it is the taste there is no taste but better than a tube unless you have to have it please fight like i did and dont give up im still wondering if my treatment is gonna work dont lay down g god bless us all

I'm so sorry that you're going through this.  I lost my taste after only the first week of treatments.  Gone.  Nothing.  Then the thick saliva kicked it and made it impossible to eat anything and keep it down.  I was so down by my last week of rads that I was ready to just quit.  This wonderful famiy on here encouraged me and gave me a much needed kick in the rear to finish.  I had to get a PEG and was terrified.  I can honestly tell you that it was no big deal to get it in or have it removed.  That darn thing saved my life!  I did continue to sip water each day, but the constant weight loss gave me no other option.  I am praying for you, my friend, and hope that things get better.  It's such a nasty treatment but I promise it does end and things improve.  I think back to just a year ago and I'm amazed at how happy I am now and how beautiful life is.  I hope for only good things ahead for you as well.  Always use plastic utensils and that helps with the metal taste! I carried some around with me if we went out to eat anywhere and I still prefer plastic