1 week post treatment

 After my treatment, which ended 6-6-2009 for stage IV left tonsil and back of neck area, I actually began to feel human about the 1st week of Sept of that year.  Progress was determined by how few times I threw up on a given day.  Everybody goes through this crap differently, and I really hope you get over it much sooner than I.  You will get over it.  Just keep climbing that mountain....one day at a time.  Continue to sip, sleep, and get some movement.

Larry

Keith

Have your caregiver tie a big knot and help you hang on. The two weeks after treatment were by far the most severe for my husband. He required IV Fluids for three weeks after treatment and couldn't even speak for ten days. Pain meds were at their highest level the first three weeks after treatment. 

He rang the bell on May 25th, completing 7 rounds of chemo and 33 radiation treatments. He was treated for Thrush three weeks post treatment. 

My husband has been off the pain meds completely since June 24th. He is able to eat his calories most days. He had steak, medium rare, mashed potatoes, and watermelon on July 4th.

What I am trying to say is this: it truly does get easier and you will have less pain/discomfort. Hang on and when you are ready, press forward to your new normal.

All of these cancers are somewhat different and treatments are specific to each case. My husband was treated for NPC Stage IV with two lymph nodes involved. 

You made it through this horrific treatment. You will soon be looking forward to you cancer free NED!

Sara

Keith, when I left the radiation treatment center after my 35th treatment I had not spoken to anyone for about two weeks.  I was writing notes and letting a text-to-speech program speak for me.  The staff all signed a nice note card about me being a stellar patient and all that jazz (nice touch I thought), and at the time the Radio-Oncologist said to me, "Now you can go home and curse me for the next two weeks."

I didn't understand that, then, and I couldn't (or wouldn't) speak, so I could not press her for an explanation.  I was thinking that once you quit trying to kill me with Cisplatin and stop zapping me with enough ionizing radiation to kill a smaller animal, I should get better almost immediately!  

Uh...no.  That's not how that works. 

My last treatment was the day before Thanksgiving 2016.  I was told, "You might actually want some mashed potatoes by Christmas."

No, I really didn't.

Then, later a miraculous thing happened.  Not only did I want food, but some things didn't smell or taste bad anymore.   But *most* of my calories were coming from Ensure "Enlive" for months.  I could eat, but not enough.

Yes, there are other ways to get nutrition that I did not do and I should have and I am a bad man and a lousy example and do not do what I did.

I just wanted to jump in and say that my experience was that the two weeks after the radiation stopped were the worst two weeks of my entire journey and it wasn't as though two weeks went by and I suddenly wanted to eat a horse and dance a jig.  Progress for me was slow, but the two weeks after radiation were the worst.

Hang in there.

Hi Keith, it took me about a month after radiation till I felt improvement. It does get better everyone is different. I wish you a speedy recovery. 

soonermom said:

Hang in there

We are 11 weeks post treatment.  The two weeks after treatment were harder for my husband than anytime during treatment.  Having said that he has made steady though slow improvement every week since that horrible two week period after treatment.  He has his voice back, has returned to work and ate part of a hot dog today! Eggs and meatballs yesterday.  He is still mostly PEG dependent but if we get a good report from his 3 month PET, we will work toward getting the PEG out.  Victory over the beast that invaded our life may be near.  Don't give up.  You will get through it.  

My husband is also 11 weeks out! We have been through the wringer!! Ups and downs....I wish I could talk to you.

He is very hesitant to talk to anyone or even read these posts. He talks a little to our neighbors and our sons but I am his "everything"

caregiver, companion, cheerleader.... I just want him to talk to someone who has been through this!

tmchale said:

I'm with you!

My husband is also 11 weeks out! We have been through the wringer!! Ups and downs....I wish I could talk to you.

He is very hesitant to talk to anyone or even read these posts. He talks a little to our neighbors and our sons but I am his "everything"

caregiver, companion, cheerleader.... I just want him to talk to someone who has been through this!

Send me a PM with any questions you have or he has.  You can print off our PM messages and talk about them together.  Patients and caregivers on another site suggeted that for us because we had no local support group.  Their messages/info got us through a lot of hard days.  There is nothing like talking to someone who has been there.  They gave me info to share with my husband.  He absolutely had any energy or interest in the sites.  He was and is focused on his physical recovery and basic things like eating, sleeping, self care, returning to work.  He is trying to get his life back.  Just trying to pay it forward, what others did for us.  It is a hard road.  

This next week is my week 7 of rad, plus i have chemo mon-wed. Also this is considered a 'boost' week for radiation, meaning they zoom in on the area.  Oh boy this is gonna be a fun week.

Gotta. Keep. Pushing. Through.