Handling effects of radiation and chemo 1 month after ending
My husband was treated for head and neck cancer in Mar. and Apr. He is 6 weeks out of 35 radiation treatments and 5 chemo sessions. He had a gtube put in before any treatment started, which was good because we started using in during the 4th week of treatment and have been using it since. He is becoming very frustrated with the side effects not "turning" at all...lots of mucus that he coughs/spits up, not being able to eat , and general tired feeling. We both want him to start getting back to the "land of the living" and wonder when we will see some postive changes. Thanks for any help.
Comments
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welcome. You are looking better, really.
tmchale,
Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you qualify, but the mere fact that treatments are over (most likely) means you are getting better. Believe it or not.
The first few months post treatments can seem the cruelest as you expect to feel better, not worse and it isn’t happening.
If you are like MOST H&N members you will improve, but slowly. Rads and chemo take your body elsewhere and your body needs to shrug it off, repair and get better.
Keep drinking water (sips count), try small bites of anything, keep the calories up, keep your team informed of everything and set your calendar for “down the road”.
Look for very small improvements, you will get there.
Matt
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For my husband, the post-treatment time was the hardest of the entire process. In fact around the two week post-treatment mark we made our one and only trip of the entire process to the ER, it was that bad. He started to turn a corner about 5 weeks out. He still cannoot eat much of anything but he is drinking more things all the time. He is 7 weeks out now and talking, working and returning to some of his normal activities. Right now neither of us can imagine him having his PEG tube out anytime soon. However, I will say everyday I see some tiny improvements. I agree, hang in there and be sure to ask if he has thrush at his follow up if you are not seeing improvement. We were shocked to be told that was STILL a probem at our first follow up. Treatment again really helped with the recovery. Be honest about your concerns and ask your medical team for help. We got a lot of helpful advice at our apppointments after treatment. We still needed a dietician for consult. Good luck and don't give up. My husband has also been discouraged from time to time. If you think he is depressed, SPEAK UP.
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Recovery is so indivudualized and comes in such tiny increments it can be hard to see. It sounds like you are just approaching the time when improvement becomes noticable. I second the idea of checking for thrush. My husband had it as well, a few weeks after treatment ended. It was hard for him to tell and he attributed his discomfort to treatment, but some of it was thrush. Good luck. You are almost there.
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Land of the living
The land of the living will happen. We are all indiviuals and each has their own path to follow. I am 7 months out from treatment and am just starting to feel like a part of society and not a freak anymore. I have the same issues all of us face or will face and as Matt says "just trying to find my new normal". It honestly was about 8-10 weeks out before I stopped all medication on my own. I don't recommend that method but I work in health care and am a smidge stubborn. I was just tired of feeling sick and tired. After about 3-5 days of detoxifying my body, I could tell things were getting better.
You are getting so close to the recovery phase now. Put the hammer down and don't look back. It will get better and life will start improving daily. Set backs yes. But improvements will far out weigh the set back. Hang on for the ride. You are getting to the end!
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Time, seems to be the answerCivilMatt said:welcome. You are looking better, really.
tmchale,
Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you qualify, but the mere fact that treatments are over (most likely) means you are getting better. Believe it or not.
The first few months post treatments can seem the cruelest as you expect to feel better, not worse and it isn’t happening.
If you are like MOST H&N members you will improve, but slowly. Rads and chemo take your body elsewhere and your body needs to shrug it off, repair and get better.
Keep drinking water (sips count), try small bites of anything, keep the calories up, keep your team informed of everything and set your calendar for “down the road”.
Look for very small improvements, you will get there.
Matt
Time, seems to be the answer
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I'm about 8 weeks out from
I'm about 8 weeks out from treatment and I struggled real bad about two weeks ago. I was going stir crazy from being house bound for all of 2017, and very frustrated with the slow rate of recovery.
Then it dawned on me. Just the mere fact that I was dissatisfied with my level of recovery and lack of ability meant I was getting better! I was so run down from the treatments that all I could do was manage my symptoms and sleep. It didn't bother me one bit that I never left the house or wasn't being "productive."
That was the turning point in my recovery. I've started to gain weight. People that see me once a week or every couple weeks are telling me I am looking better.
The turning point in your recovery could be happening very soon!
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