Hello, I also did 7 weeks radiation plus 3 chemo sessions (throat cancer). I am now 6 weeks post treatment and eating all my meals. However although my tastebuds are slowly coming back but it is definitely a work in progress.     I have only recently been able to eat red meat (I had a very tender steak last night and it was quite good). But I still cannot eat anything that is acidic at all (still have some ulceration in my mouth). Also cannot eat anything that is dry or very sweet (no biscuits or chocolate for me).     My current diet consists of milk, grilled fish, steamed veggies, brown rice, eggs, pasta, cheese and a LOT of oats.  I just keep trying different things and today I had english muffins with butter for lunch. I am drinking water and weak hot chocolate (coffee and tea still taste awful).   It's a slow journey but I am getting better every day. Hope you continue to progress too. Angela      ... View more

Hi Shane, How lovely to hear from you and very happy that your immunotherapy is going well.   I have continued to improve every day and last week I returned to work in a part time capacity.  The only problem I have is that my hearing has been effected by either the chemo or radiation or both. Sounds are not as sharp as they were previously. It is particularly noticeable in the work space and I find I have to ask colleagues to repeat some words when they are presenting complex issues to me. I recognised quickly that this means I need to give the speaker my full attention from the first word. It is a skill that I will have to work on!   I had my first check up post treatment yesterday and my specialist is very happy with how well I am healing. My PET scan will be done in mid July, and as you know, it is the scan that will tell the truth about how effective the treatment has been.  Time will tell but until then I am just getting on with life.   On physical side, I am now eating all my meals (no peg feeds at all) and my weight is stable. I will be able to have the peg tube removed in another week or so.  I am trying to be more active with walking each day.  I reckon I will soon be ready to start gently running again (especially after peg removed).  I am hoping that my body has retained some running fitness but am prepared for being a beginner again if that is what it takes.   Aside from the other health benefits, exercise is the best stress release for me. Running is my own form of meditation and it doesn't matter what time or distance I run. Every step taken is a positive thing and a good run can be outright joyful.   Hope all continues to go well for you. Please stay in touch. Angela ... View more

Thanks very much for your reply.   I am in fact going to follow your advice (and Nike)  - and just do it.  I find that I am more tired on days that I am less active (mentally or physically). Whereas when I make the effort to start doing things early in the day, I can achieve quite a lot and have more energy than if I just lay about reading or watching tv.   Cheers Angela                       ... View more

Hi Shaun, your reply is extremely interesting and a timely reminder to me that there are many people who are far worse off than me. I thank you very much for sharing such personal details.  I can see why you needed long time off work to manage your health.   I am somewhat paranoid that I am not "sick enough" from the treatment and that maybe that means they didn't do the radiation correctly. I will confess that fear to doctor at next appointment.   I am most certainly a glass half full person, always have been.  My husband is a bit of a pessimist but not to the point of being a drag. My health (aside from cancer) was very good. Physically fit, regular walker and runner, ate very healthy foods, maintained healthy weight, no smoking, social wine drinker but only on weekends and not a big consumption.  On the negative, I definitely worked too many hours under significant stress.  Running was my form of meditation and stress release. I was very self sufficient and self motivated.   My job relies on my brain and communication. It is a high stress position but generally I cope very well with that and find my work to be very satisfying. It's all sedentary, office work and the most physically draining part of going back to work will be the effort required having to get dressed, put on makeup and catch bus to city.   I didn't even know Alopecia was possible side effect.  My hair is much thinner and I have lost it along the base of hairline, but I just need a good short hair cut and will be ok.   I have muffled hearing but hoping that will fully pass or I guess I will have to learn to live with it. I have the constant phlegm in throat and the unsuccessful clearing of it. I have a lot of mouth ulceration that seems to be taking a long time to heal (and this is preventing me from being able to try more foods to swallow as only very bland food like oats can be tolerated currently) I have bad taste in mouth constantly (all that phlegm doesn't help) I eat oats very slowly each morning and yesterday managed to eat some 2 minute noodles at lunch time. I am going to try creamed rice next (home made). All other meals are supplements via the PEG. Radiation burns to neck are healing nicely (lot of red skin still but the broken skin has healed) Teeth are fine. I have nausea to the point of vomiting at night (weirdly always around the 7.30pm mark). The only remedy I can find it to ensure that all peg feeds are completed no later than 4pm each day. That way there is nothing to actually vomit up at 7.30pm. Dry heaves is all I could manage last night. Weight appears to be stabilising at 54kg. I started treatment at 57.5kg so this isn't too bad (I am a fairly small person and quite short at 161 cm), but I can't afford to lose any more. I am physically tired but not exhausted and I reckon I am getting slightly better each day. Mentally ok - but extremely bored with tv and my own company (the COVID restrictions have made this much worse because I have not been anywhere except hospital appointments for 9 weeks now. )   ... View more

Hi Shaun, thanks for your reply. 5 months does seem like a long time but I realise I am probably being over-ambitious. I have found myself improving a little each day once I got 8 days past last treatment. I am hoping that continues each day from this point onwards.    I am very bored mentally and sick of tv.  I won't know if the treatment has been successful for at least 3 months, and could be longer of course, depending on the PET scan.  And I seriously don't want to spend the next 3 months leading up to the PET scan, just continually thinking about myself and cancer. It is not good for my mental health.   I am lucky in that my company will accommodate whatever I need, so I have the option to go back just part time hours and then increase slowly when I am ready for full time again.  It's all office work, teleconferences, desktop auditing type stuff and is not physically taxing at all.  I think the hardest physical part will be getting dressed each morning and taking bus to city (assuming the Covid lockdown ends and people return to working in offices again).   My current thoughts are returning at 20 hrs pw (5 hrs each day x 4 days) in another month or so.  I don't have to decide anything for another couple of weeks though.    Did you go back to full time or part time? And is your job physical?  Can I also ask if you had the PEG tube and if so, how long it was before you could eat again? (I can't taste anything currently but it is really my mouth ulcers that prevent me from eating. All I can manage currently is oats with lots of milk in the morning. All other meals are via PEG.   thank you for any info you can provide, Angela ... View more

Hello Captain Australia (great name),   Thank you for pointing out the positives, it really helps me.     I can swallow a little water too, although it tastes quite dreadful so I only drink the minimum and do the rest of water via PEG.  I long to be able to eat some other soft foods but my mouth ulcers are too sensitive at this stage. The oats are ok because they are so very bland and don't irritate. It's a slow process, lots of milk and safe, careful swallowing but I can manage it.   How long did it take for your tastebuds to return (even a little bit)?       ... View more

Hi Shane, I finished my treatment on 17th April, and felt dreadful for the first 7 days. Just as I reached depths of despair, I began to improve slightly. Just enough each day to give me hope.    Can't taste anything of course and am almost fully reliant on the PEG.  I manage to swallow some oats each morning but anything else tastes hideous.  I fantasise about being able to taste food again and have taken to watching food and cooking shows on tv (which is something I would never previously watch).  I don't know how long it will be until my tastebuds return but when they do I will be ready to appreciate food like I never did before!   I am very sorry to hear that you have had second recurrence. I cannot begin to imagine how you and your wife are coping with that news.    I am glad my comments about you being runners didn't offend. I always notice runners because I am a runner myself. Or at least I was a runner before this detour in life.  Running has been my form of therapy and meditation since I was about 30  (I am 56 now).  I am not a fast runner, slow and steady is best description but running has been one of the joys of my life.  A week ago, I could not believe I would ever have strength to run again.  But just the little improvements in the last couple of days have given me hope.   Best wishes to you and your wife, Angela ... View more

Hi Paula, I read your post with great interest. I have just completed 5 weeks of chemo radiation (throat and neck) and have two more weeks to go. My taste has already gone (left at week 3).   You are further along that me, and I am wondering if you can tell me have regained any taste as yet?   thank you for any information you can share. Angela ... View more