Just Celebrated One Year

Klingels
Klingels Member Posts: 78
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

One year ago today, my 55 year old husband finished 35 radiation treatments and 3 doses of chemotherapy, Cisplatin, for stage 4a tonsilar cancer. He is now working full-time and is generally in good health. He had a rough time with treatment. He stopped eating completely even with the PEG tube. He ended up on TPN, nutrition fed intravenously, for about 6 weeks. He then was able to get enough nutrition through the PEG tube, and slowly began eating through his mouth again. He had the PEG tube removed after about 8 months. His mid-year CT scan was clear. His energy is back to normal. He lost 50 pounds during treatment and recovery. He has yet to gain any of it back. He has neuropathy in his feet and fingers, and his taste buds aren't back to what they were. He does tasty spicy foods and is back to enjoying them. He says ice cream has no flavor. He is starting to have problems with his teeth. He is very happy to be here, and is enjoying life. I just wanted to share his story for those of you going through treatment, to let you know life does get better.

Comments

  • Kskokko
    Kskokko Member Posts: 42
    #2
    Keep at it

    rehab work is crucial.   Exercise every day, do yoga, see the dentist more often.   I am out 14 months and still trying to gain back what I lost

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 728 Member
    #3
    Congrats

    We all like to read success stories.  Each person recovers differently.  My father in law said it took a solid two years to get his taste buds back again and never did lose his saliva.  

    Yes, like previously mentioned, take care of the teeth.  Radiation is just not good for them.  A lot of us had flouride trays made to reduce the risk of cavities.  It seems like a daily battle to keep the teeth I have.  

    Good health going forward.  It sounds like the recovery is working well.

  • Klingels
    Klingels Member Posts: 78
    #4
    tommyodavey said:

    Congrats

    We all like to read success stories.  Each person recovers differently.  My father in law said it took a solid two years to get his taste buds back again and never did lose his saliva.  

    Yes, like previously mentioned, take care of the teeth.  Radiation is just not good for them.  A lot of us had flouride trays made to reduce the risk of cavities.  It seems like a daily battle to keep the teeth I have.  

    Good health going forward.  It sounds like the recovery is working well.

    teeth

    Yes, it is his own fault. He quit using the fluoride trays and hasn't seen a dentist. 

     

    I did forget to mention he still has trouble with saliva. He takes a bottle of water with him everywhere and likes drinking milk to help food go down.

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #5
    one year - Yeah!

    Great news. Keep it up and look forward to the next NED report! Enjiy.

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,466 Member
    #6
    Hurray!

    Celebrating the good news with you. Great to hit that first-year milestone and know the treatment is behind you. I know sometimes when I was in recovery after treatment I felt so bad, so tired, and things seem to go so slow in the recovery phase I wondered when I was going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, I found it and so did you-congrats and God Bless.

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