Post Treatment Recovery

Yes, it is very difficult because even after you are finished with treatment your insides are still cooking with radiation. But the good news is in a few weeks or so you will start to feel better and have less and lesser pain and discomfort. Just keep trying to eat and drink what you can, I made it through radiation twice with no PEG Tube, but if I knew then what I knew now about PEG Tubes I would have had a PEG Tube before any radiation ever began. Also remember everyone is different on how fast or how long they take to heal, give it time because you are finished with the treatment and you will start healing.

Tim

On finishing your treatment.  Talk to your doctor and nursing staff about your nutrition concerns.  They are valid.  You really need hydration, also.

If your doctor spoke to you about a PEG, bring it up again and see what their thoughts are at this point.

Smart people on this site.  They can give you good advice.

ocmark said:

An honest estimate

Thanks MrsBD for your comments. It is SO saddening to hear it takes a few months for the throat pain to recede. I'm just so angered that my doctors were so dishonest with me. What did they think they were doing by saying things would start improving in a couple of weeks? I have Kaiser insurance and I must say it feels like the K-Mart of cancer care. I think I'm getting the blue light special. As soon as the chemo and radiation ended, so did the supervision. I have an appointment to see my doctor in a month. There was no honest evaluation of what I would be going through, other than a few platitudes about how everything would be better in a couple of weeks. I just wish I knew if the throat pain and difficulty swallowing was going to still get worse, or is this about the level I will see for the next "few months?" At least I would have some idea what I should be doing.

 

Thanks everyone for your input.

It was dismaying to me that recovery took so long. My cancer team also said I'd start to feel better in a few weeks. Surprise! I think they just don't know, but they try to be optimistic for our sakes. After my treatment ended, I was given an appointment in a month, but ended up going in for supplemental fluids several times in between. If you begin to feel worse or show signs of dehydration, call the doctor. It may feel like you've been abandoned,  but they are there to help you through the recovery period too. If it's been a few weeks since you finished treatment, the pain shouldn't get worse. These are tough days, but you really will start to feel better slowly.

   My husband finished chemo/radiation for stage IV tonisl CA in Feb of this year. The first few weeks after treatment were the toughest, but he did start to improve at roughly the two week point. It didn't get worse, but no improvement during that time. Magic Mouthwash helped a little, but nothing really made it feel great. He had no PEG tube, which made staying hydrated very difficult. He went in 3 times a week, for 3 weeks, for IV therapy. They gave him a liter of fluids, as he wasn't able to drink enough. Kaiser has an Infusion Center where they give IV therapy. If it's too dificult to swallow, and you think you are getting dehydrated, call any one of your doctors. Any doctor can write an order for IV therapy, even your Primary Physician.  You will feel better if you aren't dehydrated and it helps thin mucus.

  My husband found the mucus at the point you are at to be difficult to deal with. He slept with a cool mist humidifier for a few months, which seemed to help some. The only food he was able to get down for those two weeks was canned peaches, jello, pudding and very soggy cereal. He wasn't able to drink Ensure at that point as he said it burned the back of his throat, however, he did tolarate milk. My husband has done remarkably well. In some way I think that being forced to swallow, due to no PEG, may have helped him. He had to force himself to keep swallowing every day.

     This is definitly the hard part. I know everyone heals at different rates, but he did start to slowly improve at just over the two week mark. I'm sure this seems like an eternity at this point, but you are almost there!

I know it is disheartening to feel so bad after you've courageously slogged through the tough tough treatment phase. DO TRY to get your hydration and nutrition in. You can boost calories with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and some other tricks. Is there a nutritionist on staff who can consult with you? 

When it came down to trying foods via mouth (my husband had a PEG, and continues to have one post tx) the doctor adjusted pain meds to help him transition to more food orally and it helped. Mrs. BD is right - try experiementing with different temperatures and textures - some may be more soothing than others.

Finally - I know I have posted this in other message threads - but my husband found aloe juice mixed in with water to be very soothing.

I hope that you can get some relief soon.

Barbara