side effects of radiation

[loupylass]

Good to hear that you are at least enjoying your coffee again...it is quite bizarre how taste buds are affected. A good latte is still my favoured indulgence although it tastes NOTHING like it used to...tea is ok and yet a delicate flavoured herbal tea is absolutely divine! All minor stuff in the broad scheme of things. I was extremely tired and learnt to pace myself and mastered the art of saying NO. I was always the "go to" person if anything needed doing and I just had to learn to gently decline and leave others to sort stuff out for themselves. A lesson for them and a HUGE lesson for me and it's turned out great. I gave up work when I got diagnosed, mainly because I live in rural Australia and my hospital checkups entail a two day trip away from home and at one point that was every two weeks and is still a monthly event. I am extremely lucky that it's not the end of the financial world for us if I don't work but it's an added stress if you do need to work. I wish you all the best in your return to work, I know others on here have started out with a 3 day week and built up from there so maybe you can consider that? Keep in touch and let me know how you're going.

[Pabs25]

elow ..my father will undergo radiation therapy what should he expect and preparation to do?he has tongue cancer and the pain is severe and he can't eat well now..thanks...

[Pabs25]

elow ..my father will undergo radiation therapy what should he expect and preparation to do?he has tongue cancer and the pain is severe and he can't eat well now..thanks...

[lambshank]

loupylass, Your right about learning to say no, it's very difficult (I'm admittedly probably a bit of a control freak too!)but I'm learning to sit back and let others do things Iv'e always done myself, I'm madly adding up finances to see if it's possible to give up work, the cost would probably just be my clothes fetish, which in fact I can entirely do without, especially if I'm not going to meetings etc. I live about 3 1/2 hours from my doctor, not as far as you but must this pain under control it's truly debilitating, endone and oxycontin just don't seem keep it in check and only work for a short time, do you experience this also? glad to hear you enjoy your latte, amazing how thrilling little things can be, like tasting coffee...wow

[lambshank]

Pabs25, There isn't a lot he can do in preparation and hopefully the multi disciplinary team and Oncologist will monitor him, if he can manage protein drinks or anything to maintain a healthy weight before radiation is about all I can think of, his mouth will probably blister into the treatment so any weight he can put on now would be helpful,a dietician will see him once treatment begins but if he's already having problems it would be good idea to get some advice now, I found that the neutral flavour hospital strength Sustagen drink was good, he can vary the flavour and also add it to other foods (mashed potato etc) fatigue is a common problem and he may need lots of rest.I am a few weeks out of treatment now but find I still need to break up chores, pace myself, and don,t expect too much, rest is important

[Jules2]

I tend to disagree a bit ... I believe there is a lot he can do in. He can care for his skin before it gets burnt, which means salt water soaks straight away. He can find out about oral hygiene, bicarb soda and salt water worked well for me and was recommended by my dentist. He may need a peg tube and could discuss this with his oncologist before treatment begins. The drinks such as sustagen are good and fatigue is a factor both during and after treatment. Good luck with it all. Julie

[loupylass]

Although I didn't do any preparation for my radiotherapy I was given absolute first rate information and help by the nursing staff during my treatment. My dentist also recommended the bicarb and salt water and it worked really well (toothpaste would have stung too much anyway) I was given sorbolene for my skin but then was changed to white parafin jelly which was just marvellous! I could not even drink meal replacements as they stung my mouth too much but I did find that whey based protein powder in tepid milk with honey did not sting so bear that in mind later down the track. Just follow all advice given by your medical team as they do know their stuff and make sure you ask for good pain relief if you need it. I just rested and looked after me..both physically and mentally. My treatment is successful and after six months I am beginning to get some saliva back and my neck doesn't ache anymore. Good luck and take care.

[lambshank]

Yes, I agree about the pain management, very important to get a handle on it early and have it reviewed as required, I use Aqueous cream (water based) to keep the area moisturised as I'm very allergic to a lot of things and this is very mild, also a complete dental check, forgot how important it is to have all dental work complete and prevention strategies in place, the use of products such as Biotene and non alcohol based mouth washes

[Jules2]

Just a bit of a side note here. I experienced all my pain before treatment and once treatment started my pain started to diminish. I ate all through my treatment and had no mouth sores whatsoever. My skin was horribly burnt but I kind of expected that as I have very sensitive neck skin, but we managed to get through and thankful for antibiotics. It does happen this way but probably not the norm, so not wanting to give false hope .. but perhaps a small glimmer. All the best with the upcoming treatment. It is doable but difficult! Julie

[lambshank]

Hi, I just had my records moved from Brisbane to a more local oncologist, a very nice man and also more open to sharing information about my throat cancer, I've been experiencing a more intense pain in the lung area, he has been very honest and expressed concern about a PET scan so soon after completion of radiation, he has also suggested chemo would be a realistic option at this point, I have also recovered from atypical TB which apparently puts me in a high risk area, I have little information and at this point am willing to try anything, has anyone tried complimentary therapy for head and neck cancer? all else appears to be failing, as is my faith in any future, so I am willing to give anything a try at this point