Radiation and mucosis

[MaMCK]

Hello, I am new to this forum... In June this year my husband was diagnised with an HPV related cancer of his tongue, stage 1. After consulting with a few doctors, he decided to go with Proton radiation and chemo. The surgery was also considered however due to the risk of bleeding and the area being too close to his vocal cords, he decided against it. We are currently in treatment and he has 1.5 weeks to go.  

The side effects have been particualt horrific around musocis and a comlete loss of appetite, he lost a lot of weight. Musocis keeps him up at nights and the only way he is able to sleep is by taking olanzapine, which knocks him out the next day too....

Any advice from anyone who have been through this? How to deal with mucosis, anything helps?

Salty water gargling is the only thing that was recommended by the doctors, and Mucinex. Thank you, M

[Budgie]

Hi MaMCK,

Here is a link to a thread you will probably find alot of useful info for you.

@Your experience with side effects from head & neck cancer treatment (radiation / mucositis)

Budgie 

[RB4444]

Hi Ma

Not sure I really have advice, just wanted you to know that my husband is also in the same position at the moment - nearly 6 weeks through 7 weeks of daily radiation and 3 rounds of chemo for HPV at the base of his tongue. He has been so positive and doing so well and then this week it has really hit him, eating has become impossible and even drinking is now very difficult. He is retching at night from the mucous and of course is terrified of actually being sick, as that would be so very painful. He gargles a lot with soluble panadol and the Peter Mac powders the hospital provided. He is also reliant on medication to sleep, as it is used to sedate him to get through wearing the mask for radiation every day (he is acutely claustrophobic), I have to say I am very worried how he will manage once the radiation finishes and so does the sedation, as it is at the weekends he hardly sleeps at all.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that "I hear you, I know how hard it is watching someone you love go through this brutal treatment, and if you want to chat at any time Id be happy to"

Good luck with everything and if you get any useful responses to your post, I would be keen to hear about them too

R