Five month official verdict

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AnotherSurvivor
AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 383 Member
edited May 2017 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Monday will be five full months since completion of 35 rad/7 carbol-taxol, and today I had a routine visit with my rad oncol.  

Yes, I am recovering, but I still have red, tender, and swollen areas in my throat/tongue on the side where the turmor was.  Rad oncol thought probably two more months on that (which is also what he said two months ago).  The size is considerably reduced.  Continue daily salt and soda mouth baths.  

Yes, there is no tumor, nor did I bite his finger off when he reached in to feel my tonsil.  Saliva from my now Thrush-free tongue will probably improve some, but yes, I will live with some drymouth.  I will probably die chewing sugarfree gum (but probably not from throat cancer).  I now taste everything, also a gift from not having a coated tongue.  Lunch was a Cobb Salad with extra dressing and some advocado.

My spontaneous nose water drip is probably related to some residual small sores in my nose.  Twice daily saltwater nose rinses, should clear up in time (two months?).

Strength is improving, spent part of yesterday helping  empty a flatbed loaded with sandstone.  But, I am noticably weaker, or W.Colorado sandstone has become noticably heavier.  Eons ago I could bench press 300 lbs., today I might manage 30.  Total weight loss of +40 lbs. really was all muscle.  At 65 y.o., probably it will not come back.

I slept hard thru the night (unassisted by Melatonin),  but had a weird dream featuring Martin Feldman (of Young Frankenstein) talking about "Sir Aleric" and me commenting during it I could see no REM cycle purpose to a dream including Martin Feldman talking about Sir Aleric.  Maybe radiation brain is somehow linked to Monty Python (or flatbeds of W.Colorado sandstone).

My buddy C,  with whom I shared an infusion center bay,  made it (he was in really rocky shape), is NED, sees the rad oncol next week, was seeing the Swallow PT.

Anyway, fellow travelers, that is what a "good" five month recovery looks like.

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  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    edited May 2017 #2
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    post 5m

    AS,

    If I read between the lines, I think you are doing well.  Still some pesky issues, but nothing your onc is afraid of.  I continue to see improvements at 5 years post.  So, you are just scratching the new normal surface.

    I wish you continued improvements; there are plenty of 300lb items to lift.

    Matt

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 383 Member
    edited May 2017 #3
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    Levers and wheels.  Also

    Levers and wheels.  Also, winches.

  • rsp
    rsp Member Posts: 103 Member
    #4
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    Slow road

    You started your journey around the same time as my husband. He had the same treatment as you did, and he continues to battle some of the same issues as you do.  He lost +80 lbs. and has no muscle.  He struggles to eat solid foods (when I told him you ate a Cobb Salad, he was surprised, and said maybe he would give it a try.)

    He just told me this morning, as he looked in the mirror, that he sees an "old man" staring back at him (he is 59).  I told him I could not be more happy with what I see!  I am so happy he is still here to look in the mirror!

    My husband goes for his PET scan on Wednesday.  Praying for good news.  

    Thank you for your posts... it helps me to know my husband is not the only one still having so many symptoms 5 months in...

    Praying for you and everyone going down this road!

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 383 Member
    #5
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    I was surprised at how easy

    I was surprised at how easy leafy green vegs were to get down.   What it has done for my digestive tract in dealing with chemo has been amazing.  Regularity has returned.    Food is intimidating.  At my stage it is all mental, worst case with breads is I have to sip milk or water.  That said, I find myself looking at new foods with caution.  Two months ago, after the last open sore healed, I participated in a family chilli fest.   I was so in to being with my kids and their friends that I didn't notice I was eating chips and salsa and low intensity chilli.  Despite the knowledge that I did that, I still find totally bland taco salads intimidating, and I love chicken taco salads.  

    Recovery is going to take a year.  If you work at it and push, you might get it down to twelve months.

  • mapdan
    mapdan Member Posts: 33 Member
    #6
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    rsp said:

    Slow road

    You started your journey around the same time as my husband. He had the same treatment as you did, and he continues to battle some of the same issues as you do.  He lost +80 lbs. and has no muscle.  He struggles to eat solid foods (when I told him you ate a Cobb Salad, he was surprised, and said maybe he would give it a try.)

    He just told me this morning, as he looked in the mirror, that he sees an "old man" staring back at him (he is 59).  I told him I could not be more happy with what I see!  I am so happy he is still here to look in the mirror!

    My husband goes for his PET scan on Wednesday.  Praying for good news.  

    Thank you for your posts... it helps me to know my husband is not the only one still having so many symptoms 5 months in...

    Praying for you and everyone going down this road!

    Sounds familiar

    I too am 59 and lost tons of weight with no muscle mass anymore. 7 months out with same treatment as you folks and sadly same problems with eating and saliva. But as you say we are here!!! Good luck on the PET scan!!! 

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    edited June 2017 #7
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    Are you a cousin of Matt's??

    I'm hearing a bit of the same droll sense of humor :).  Congrats on your salad eating....that was one thing I craved at the end of treatment, but the dressing tasted so awful, I had to wait a while.  I love bread...and I love soup....soaking French bread in my soup became a go-to, for a few months.  I'm sure that chili would taste great with French bread....making myself hungry here.

    Really glad to hear you're doing so well!!!

    p

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