Would appreciate info from the experienced

Jkinobay sorry to see you go through all this. If you can give a first name I will address you with that.

Your latest bout with this evil disease is no fairy tale, this stuff is tough to go through.

Don’t kid yourself you had heavy-duty treatment and it takes a while to recover.

And you went through treatment of operation and radiation in generally the same area.

I know people want to know how long will the effects last like eating and taste but there is no hard

and fast rule.

It could take 8 weeks for one person and 3 months or more for another.

Take into account that it is possible previous radiation could possibly have some kind of effect here

such as taste and swallowing making it take a little longer.

I would give it another month and if you feel you are not recovering enough talk to your care team.

Recovery from H&N cancer treatment is a slow process and is gauged in weeks and months, not days and weeks.

Also, take your age into account as a factor, I know I don’t heal up from anything as quick as I used to when I was younger, it takes a while.

Sorry, I am not really telling you a lot here except it is a slow process and takes time.

You just have to be patient.

Then one day you will suddenly realize hey I could taste that a little better, or I could swallow a little easier and the pain is less now.

My first treatment was throat cancer with chemo and 35 rads and I couldn’t eat for months everything went through my feeding tube, everything.

Did they mention any kind of different radiation for this second time around?

I had a second round of radiation myself and it was recommended I get the Proton therapy but I didn’t feel up to traveling for it so instead I had radiation with the Cyberknife locally.

Also, would you say the surgery you had was pretty deep and involved even though you had TORS and that could be a factor in progressing and the soreness you still have?

Number 1 if you think there is a problem with your recovery or any other unusual things you are experiencing get with your care team and ask them, they know your situation better than anybody.

OK, so your blood pressure have you asked your doctor about that, as I think that would be fairly serious?

You say you lost 30 pounds are you extremely underweight now?

That could affect your BP I think.

Do you have a feeding tube so you can get calories in easier?

I am not sure if any of this helped that I just blabbed about but I hope I am on track a little.

I hope you are feeling better soon.

Take Care God Bless-Russ

Well, Jim the way you describe it, you are doing everything as you should. You followed your physician's suggestions and guidelines and were recovering well. It seems you have just slipped into a tough spot here and have a little setback. I know how you feel I have also faced times when I thought the situation would never change and I was feeling bad but one day you suddenly notice you feel just a little bit better. Or you can tell something has changed. I think you have the right perspective of pushing through it or basically just do what you know needs to be done by getting enough nourishment and liquids in and following your doctors and you will get through this. You are using the Boost VHC which has a lot of calories per 8 ounces. Mucinex may definitely help the phlegm problem but also swish and rinse as often as you need to to keep it cleared out with salt and baking soda mix.

Salt and Baking Soda Rinse Recipes

Soda and Salt Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup of warm water

Mix well until salt dissolves. Rinse your mouth gently, being careful not to swallow the mixture. Follow this with a plain water rinse to clean out any remaining salt or soda.

Soda Mouth Rinse: A Good Rinse for Before You Eat

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the baking soda. This is a good rinse to use before and after a meal because it may soothe any mucositis pain you have, making it easier for you to eat well. Swish and spit, but don't swallow this mixture.

Saltwater Mouth Rinse

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup of warm water

Mix well to dissolve the salt. This saltwater rinse is close to the natural chemistry of your own saliva. This may make mouth sores feel better. Rinse well with plain water to remove excess salt.

Salt and Soda Rinse for Gummy Mouth

Some chemotherapy drugs can increase the acidity in your mouth, leading to thick saliva that can be very annoying. This rinse works well for "gummy mouth."

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking soda

4 cups of warm water

This rinse will help to neutralize the acid in your mouth and will help dissolve or loosen thick, gummy saliva. Don't drink it, just rinse and spit it out.

You have addressed your blood pressure situation and your doctor is aware of it and wants you to see a cardiologist which may shed some light on it.

I know where you are at I was the old sick guy in the hospital in 2019 and was going in the wrong direction. I had resolved that I would not be leaving the hospital and spoke with a chaplain and he understood and prayed with me and I figured my next step was hospice but by God's Grace and only God's Grace, I am still here so what we think impossible many times is in fact not. Prayer and faith are a huge help. I am glad you have some great support by your side because that can make all the difference someone who Loves and believes in you.

Keep us posted and if I can be of any help please ask.

Wishing You the Best

Take Care God Bless-Russ

Hello again..

After reading some of the other comment's.....do l need to introduce myself to this forum. ??

I don't see anything regarding introductions...so l will add here that my name is Christine..

l am a 77 year old female..

Born and raised in the county of Northumberland. England....now living in Massachusetts.

T.T.F.N.

(Ta Ta For now)... a colloquialism from England. !!