Drinking occasionally after treatment

That's how I lived and somehow I still got tongue and neck cancer. Since alcohol is a major carcinogen, why would you take that chance? There's a reason your doctor gave you that look.

Drink up if you can tolerate it.  I can't remember exactly how long it took for my tumor bed to really completely heal...I think at my 3 month appt I still had a small angry spot where the radiation had really zapped me and made eating and drinking spicy things a little uncomfortable.  If your tissues are looking good and healed up you should be good to go.

Interestingly, I drank mostly light beers before my treatments...I now drink Budweiser and other full bodied beers as light beer tastes like crap.  IPA's are the WORST now...  Funny how the palate changes!

Enjoy Jamaica...I could use some Jamaica right about now.  The local crops are fantastic!  lol...

Brandon

Both my oncs, chemo and rad, say alcohol in moderation is fine. Brandy has been used for centuries to purify water, and has repeatedly been demonstrated to reduce cholesterol problems.  If you're looking for causality links, the biggest predictor of cancer is living past 50, to avoid that die young.  I watched my single malt stash get pillaged by my son's wandering band of ER doc Visagoths last ski season, so at least part of the medical community is untroubled by the potential.

I have +50 year experience with whiskey of many forms, not sure a single beer is even alcohol.  But I think taste will probably be a bigger factor than booze.  Even at two years post single malt scotch is now far too rough, and pretty much anything else except wine/beer is probably 90% soda water.  Even heavy wines with strong tannins like Cabs are tough now, which is tragic since some of the really great reds are defined by their tannins.  Even great whites like Graves need tannins to mature, and tannins have repeatedly been shown to reduce risk of heart disease.

Go easy, go slow, don't sweat it. 

Everyone has to take input, stir it all up, and make their own decision. I'm 5 years out and drink lightly. My rationale is I've never been a hard or long-term drinker and my HNC was HPV so it seems to me my own DNA is not particularly susceptible to cancer by alcohol. So I hoist a few and live life with no worries.

There are plenty of life-altering events just lurking out there so I'm just not that worried about it now. The first couple years the topic did roll around in the back of mind but as time went on it just faded away. Mind you, recurrence of this type of cancer is almost always going to turn up in the first couple years so that was a major factor in the discomfort.

Just two weeks ago I nearly was crushed by a 35,000 pound bus and came away rather unscathed from a tumble down a 40 foot cliff.  Unfortunately, my wife was not so lucky and has a broken neck, broken ribs, sprained finger, major head wound but she'll recover fine over time. I'm more convinced than ever to not sweat the small stuff and enjoy life each day to the fullest.

donfoo said:

You gotta live - hoist a few

Everyone has to take input, stir it all up, and make their own decision. I'm 5 years out and drink lightly. My rationale is I've never been a hard or long-term drinker and my HNC was HPV so it seems to me my own DNA is not particularly susceptible to cancer by alcohol. So I hoist a few and live life with no worries.

There are plenty of life-altering events just lurking out there so I'm just not that worried about it now. The first couple years the topic did roll around in the back of mind but as time went on it just faded away. Mind you, recurrence of this type of cancer is almost always going to turn up in the first couple years so that was a major factor in the discomfort.

Just two weeks ago I nearly was crushed by a 35,000 pound bus and came away rather unscathed from a tumble down a 40 foot cliff.  Unfortunately, my wife was not so lucky and has a broken neck, broken ribs, sprained finger, major head wound but she'll recover fine over time. I'm more convinced than ever to not sweat the small stuff and enjoy life each day to the fullest.

Best wishes to your wife!

In the words from Red from Shawshank Redemption...  "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'"...  

Hey Charmit, I have, for many years before my battles with the beast, and after my recoverys, been a daily imbiber of a cocktail, a beer, or a glass wine with dinner, and at social gatherings. Even when I had a feeding tube for 12 years, my motto was:  If it flows, it goes.  I loved pouring a cold one down my tube; it was a hoot.  I believe in moderation and balance, thus one drink is par for my course, but if I am really feeling like getting wild and crazy, I have been known to have two drinks during the course of a dinner or party.  So, since you are all clear, and have your doc's blessing,  Don't Worry, Be Happy while having spirited beverages in Jamaica, because it will be:  No Problem Mon. Here's wishing you a ton of island fun, and Cheers!

Patrick