Remind Me

kdot2003
kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi, 

Well last Wed I finished all my rads/chemo and I know I am still cooking.  Cooking for weeks possibly.  My Onc said the first week would be no better and the second week might be a tad better.  But please remind me.  

My throat is killing me and its this weird itchy thing.  My mucous is supposedly my saliva per MD thats thick.  I still vomit all the time making it hard to hydrate and take formula through the PEG but its mainly the mucous thats bothering me.  If I try to swallow anything I will likely just throw up.  I am sick of this crap.  

My mom died yesterday after being on hospice for two weeks and I cannot cry.  If I cry my throat almost has a spasm that KILLS me and then I start vomiting its horrible.  So I just try very hard not to cry.  

Ok I am whining but please tell me it gets better and maybe what gets better first although we are all individuals.  I had, hope HAD hypopharyngeal cancer.

Thanks so much!  Karen

 

Comments

  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #2
    your not a whinger Karen,

    your not a whinger Karen, you've been through a dreadful trauma on top of that you've just lost your mother. I can't think of a worse combination,just when you need her most. On top of that you can't cry, I know what you mean I can't cry my throat closes up. Who have you got for support you need a big hug now lots of hugs. Things will get better but first you have to get over grieving for your mother. The vomiting could be all the worry and strain with the heartbreak your feeling. If you can bring yourself to ask your doctor for something to calm you down it will take the edge off your heartache and being calmer may stop you vomiting. The mucous is one of the first things that happens after radiation. You need to take  as much water as you can it thins the mucous a bit and keep spitting. I kept a box of tissues next to me and deposited the mucous in the tissue. Brush your teeth often with biotene toothpaste. If the formulas are too thick and sickly water them down a bit. I use to water mine down with warm water because I couldn't keep having cold for a long time I couldn't even drink cold water, but it was winter in uk. Warm drinks soothed my stomach. Spread your formulas throughout the day. I did mine at first till I was used to them one every one and a half hours. I'm terrible sad for you you must be wretched. Wish I could give you a big hug.xxxx 

  • swopoe
    swopoe Member Posts: 492
    #3
    Karen

    i am so sorry for the loss of your mother. You are in my prayers. i am so very happy though that you finished your treatments! I am sorry you are feeling bad now but I hope you are feeling physically better soon. ❤️

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #4
    Better

    Karen, my husband is 5.5 years out from hypopharyngeal cancer.  He just finished a roast beef sandwich and fries.  It does get better.

    As someone who lost her mother a few years ago, that gets better, too.

    Hugs, Karen.  All will be well.

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 617 Member
    #5
    Karen, I am so sorry. It's

    Karen, I am so sorry. It's hard enough to go through this treatment, but to add such a loss must be overwhelming. You are in my prayers. The weeks after treatment ended were very difficult vor me because of the sore throat and horrendous amounts of mucus. My team recommended using a humidifier and taking Mucinex at night in addition to drinking as much water as possible. Come here anytime for cyber hugs!

  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #6
    Karen

    My heartfelt condolences for the loss of your Mother. It's enough to have to deal with the end of C tx, but I'm sure the load is so much heavier with the loss of your Mom. God bless her.

     

    Hypopharyngeal is a tough one- no doubt about that, and I can understand the complications with swallowing. Maybe just ice and sips of water for awhile. You use Jevity in your tube? Small steps forward post-tx. As for the mucous, all you can do is spit it out. I used to carry a small pail I bought at Lowe's that was my portable spitoon throughout tx. Still, 6-1/2 years out, I spit a lot, especially when I get horizontal in bed. Have you tried sleeping on a recliner, rather than a bed? I had my alarm set so that I couldn't sleep in bed more than 3-1/2 hours, then finished my night's rest/sleep downstairs in the recliner. Trial and error, and adjustments to what works best, is all we can do.

    Prayers are with you, and your Mother.

    kcass

  • rcaulder
    rcaulder Member Posts: 70
    #7
    So Sorry

    I'm so sorry Karen for your loss. You question though, it does get better, just takes some time. I was on a steriod pack for mucus. It almost stopped overnight. If you get worse, mention it to your DR.

  • kdot2003
    kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
    #8
    rcaulder said:

    So Sorry

    I'm so sorry Karen for your loss. You question though, it does get better, just takes some time. I was on a steriod pack for mucus. It almost stopped overnight. If you get worse, mention it to your DR.

    Maybe thats what i need.  Now

    Maybe thats what i need.  Now i think the Isosource is trying to kill me.  Sitting here looking at chicken noodle soup and wondering if it can go down.

     

  • kdot2003
    kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
    #9
    Kent Cass said:

    Karen

    My heartfelt condolences for the loss of your Mother. It's enough to have to deal with the end of C tx, but I'm sure the load is so much heavier with the loss of your Mom. God bless her.

     

    Hypopharyngeal is a tough one- no doubt about that, and I can understand the complications with swallowing. Maybe just ice and sips of water for awhile. You use Jevity in your tube? Small steps forward post-tx. As for the mucous, all you can do is spit it out. I used to carry a small pail I bought at Lowe's that was my portable spitoon throughout tx. Still, 6-1/2 years out, I spit a lot, especially when I get horizontal in bed. Have you tried sleeping on a recliner, rather than a bed? I had my alarm set so that I couldn't sleep in bed more than 3-1/2 hours, then finished my night's rest/sleep downstairs in the recliner. Trial and error, and adjustments to what works best, is all we can do.

    Prayers are with you, and your Mother.

    kcass

    Hi, yes I try to sleep

    Hi, yes I try to sleep sitting up but I am about to throw my back out from the vomiting so I cant stay like that.  

  • kdot2003
    kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
    #10
    jackflash22 said:

    your not a whinger Karen,

    your not a whinger Karen, you've been through a dreadful trauma on top of that you've just lost your mother. I can't think of a worse combination,just when you need her most. On top of that you can't cry, I know what you mean I can't cry my throat closes up. Who have you got for support you need a big hug now lots of hugs. Things will get better but first you have to get over grieving for your mother. The vomiting could be all the worry and strain with the heartbreak your feeling. If you can bring yourself to ask your doctor for something to calm you down it will take the edge off your heartache and being calmer may stop you vomiting. The mucous is one of the first things that happens after radiation. You need to take  as much water as you can it thins the mucous a bit and keep spitting. I kept a box of tissues next to me and deposited the mucous in the tissue. Brush your teeth often with biotene toothpaste. If the formulas are too thick and sickly water them down a bit. I use to water mine down with warm water because I couldn't keep having cold for a long time I couldn't even drink cold water, but it was winter in uk. Warm drinks soothed my stomach. Spread your formulas throughout the day. I did mine at first till I was used to them one every one and a half hours. I'm terrible sad for you you must be wretched. Wish I could give you a big hug.xxxx 

    Yes I have Ativan but it just

    Yes I have Ativan but it just puts me out which I guess isnt a bad thing.  Then I wake up strangling and whatever is in my stomach comes right up.  No voice now for about three weeks.

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #11
    When it rains, it pours...

    Oh Karen - I am so sorry for the loss of your mom. What a difficult thing to lay over top all that you are going through! My heart aches for you and you are most certainly in my prayers.

    YES...it will get better, but it's just so darn slow. As far as the mucus goes....we also did the sleeping up iin the recliner, the mucinex in the PEG tube, the humidifier. It will become less, but for us, it took a long while. as that mucus decreases the gag/retch/vomit cycle will become less frequent. I think my husband endured that cycle for at least a month after chemoradiation ended. It was always worse in the morning and sometimes the first feeding of the day triggered vomiting. He did (and still does) use Isosource, but he found in the early days post treatment he tolerated something called Boost Breeze better - it is clear and less "heavy" than the Isosource. Not quite as much protein but close and the calories are a little less...but he could get it down via the PEG, and not set off a chain reaction of nausea. It also helped - sometimes - to take a Zofran for nausea before he tried to tube feed. In the end I think, the vomiting is just the body's way of getting rid of that mucus. I'm sorry it's been such a rough ride.

    The BEST thing though is you are DONE with those rads, girl! You did it...ran that marathon and finished that race. You are a champion. So focus on that winning feeling!

    Barbara

  • Raddude
    Raddude Member Posts: 84
    #12
    Karen

    I have not gone trough my treatments yet. However, I did want to say how sorry I am for your loss and the suffering you are experiencing.

    You are truly in my prayers.

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