Help! I need flavour!

Dee58 — Sat, 22 May 2021 10:49:53 GMT

Hi. I'm a head and neck cancer person... have just had 7 weeks of radiation plus 3 chemo sessions involving sitting in that chair for 5 hours each time 😞

I am one week out of treatment. Yes I'd say this has been the worst week for me. I can actaully handle the pain - I use slow release painkillers via arm patches - but taste is non existent most of the time and the absolute worst nightmare I am enduring is that thick phlegm/stringy mucous that clogs up my throat and like a well trained goalie, tries to block everything I try to swallow...

At present I can't even swallow my supplements - they get stuck in my throat. I'm pretty much on a liquid diet.

which brings me to my question - today I made a beautiful lamb and vegie soup - the plan being even if I can't eat the meat, the vegies will become really mushy and slide down and I will still get the benefit of the protein and vitamins etc in the soupy part... BUT despite seasonings and herbs, my once favourite soup has become tasteless.

so i added a whole large container of beef stock and extra seasoning. Nothing.

So I added a sachet of French Onion soup. Nothing.

So I added another sachet of French Onion soup. Still nothing.

It tastes like varying degrees of mushy cardboard pieces in a tasteless warm liquid of unknown origin!

What else can I try adding that might add flavour???

My taste is weird.

I can drink (and slighty taste) apple juice.

but I cant eat stewed apple - tasteless and won't go down.

I can't drink orange juice with LOTS of ice blocks (otherwise it stings my throat)

But I cant eat orange pieces!

I can also drink Pineapple juice - but can't eat pineapple pieces.

I can barely taste and enjoy spearmint flavoured milk and choc milk - but no other flavours.

But I can't taste real chocolate.

I can also taste lemon flavours - but can't drink it because it stings. Thought i'd be smart and try a lemon cheesecake (plan to eat the cheese part and not the base)... but I couldn't taste a thing! 😞

Last week I could taste scrambled eggs but this week I can't.

I can eat tomatoes and taste them but ONLY if they are fried or grilled - not raw.

I can also eat and enjoy zucchini slices grilled and thus softened... but I can't taste other vegies in my soup! Not even the carrots!

Anyhow, I digress... looking for ideas to put some taste in my soup so I can eat it 🙂

thanks!

Re: Help! I need flavour!

sch — Tue, 25 May 2021 00:09:31 GMT

Hi Dee58,

I'm sorry to hear about your cancer and the effect that it is having on your sense of taste.

I didn't have those symptoms from my chemo (I had a difference cancer/chemo), but I had different issues.

My chemo went on for 6 months and effected my diet in other ways.

I also noticed that there is now a head and neck peer support group.

https://onlinecommunity.cancercouncil.com.au/t5/Head-Neck-Cancer-Peer-Support/gp-p/headandneck?utm_source=site&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=nsw_ccoc&utm_content=groups

Maybe you can find more specific support in there.

Thinking of you.

-s

Re: Help! I need flavour!

Dee58 — Tue, 25 May 2021 02:16:28 GMT

Thanks @sch - I did post a similar flavour request on head and neck and got a link but not much else that I'd hoped for so figured Id try the question to the wider group 🙂

topic Help! I need flavour! in Treatments and side effects

Help! I need flavour!

Re: Help! I need flavour!

Re: Help! I need flavour!