Head and Neck cancer, 4 weeks after

[Azjoetrucker]

Woof!

    I made it through the 7 week radio and chemo somewhat unscathed by the Radio Rash syndrome.

  Three weeks after the last Radio, the skin around my neck began to look domewhat sunburned.

   This has become progressively worse, the skin now totally burned through at some spots and yes, pain-full!  Wearing collared clothes not an option and sleeping was interesting since pillow ans linens seem to find a way to chafe after raw spots.

I've started using A&D ointment on it and have watched the skin slowly peel off to a sickly white in places but all in all it seems to be slowly healing.

   My point is...my skin showed no signs of Radio burns while under treatment...I wonder if it's a long term or short term condition.

[sch]

Hi Azjoetrucker,

Congratulations!

Chemo was bad enough, but I can't even imagine trying to also manage the effects of radiation therapy.

A big congratulations there.

I hope the symptoms ease up. Keep us posted.

-sch

[Mandy2]

4 weeks post treatment well done, I am 3 weeks post tonsil and lymph node  cancer 7 weeks chemo and radiation . I am finding it difficult to eat with dry mouth and 0 taste buds , also chemo caused hearing loss. I am surviving on resource and sustogen . How are you coping with eating 

[Azjoetrucker]

Mandy...

What kind of throat pain are you experiencing?  How's your appettite?  I ask because these two factors were everything in deciding what food to experiment with.

   At four weeks out, exactly today...my mouth sores are totally gone but so are my salivary glands.  Taste buds are returning and Appettite is back.  Throat pain still at a 3 (sort of a tightness).

   My standby is milk shakes with 3 scoops of ice cream and eggs (scrambled with cream cheese or over easy).  Right around 3 am I've been in tge habit of dunking a bread sandwich with a ridiculous amount of cream cheese in my morning espresso (I'm Latin, not yuppy-espresso is my normal coffee ☺).  I also snack on boiled beef liver and broccoli to keep up my iron...but again, how is your ability to swallow.

   Can you take vitamin supplements (check with Dr) and how is your fatigue index.

  At 4 weeks out my problem is the dry mouth (lots of water when eating anything) and my Radio burns-which didn't show up until after the first week after treatment.

   Oh...are you doing swallowing and jaw exercises?  These WILL help with the healing.

   Regards, Joe AZtrucker

[Mandy2]

Hi joe

thx for advice , throat pain is slight discomfort , just taking panadol now and again . No appetite at all yet . Am doing mouth stretching excersises , lots of thick gunk in my throat , rinsing with bicarb and water . Will try the ice cream and the cream cheese recipe  . Hoping taste buds appear soon , dry mouth takes longer I think 

Mandy 2