Post Rad Coughing & Eating

I didn't have the coughing, but the eating problems still linger 7 months after last rad.  I am finding that things are improving, but know it takes time.  I found that salads or foods containing moisture such as tomatoes, beets, most vegetables are easier to swallow.  I long for a peanut butter sandwich!  I used the tube for 3 months and added "Boost Plus" to keep my weight up. 

I often thought of the buffet idea-perfect way to try and find what works and what doesn't. Tired of shopping for food that "looks good" but doesn't cut it. Or wasting a cooking effort that turns out to be for just one. Lots of waste, for sure. I cannot eat meat at all; maybe a bit of tiny bits of chicken, tuna or salmon. It's the taste AND the texture-a bit odd. I wasn't a big meat eater BC (before cancer) anyway, but a good, juciy hamburger,.........if only. Maybe someday. Gayle 

You might want want to check to see if your husband has "thrush". My mom got it while on radiation theropy. It was real bad. She said it felt like razors in her mouth. She was also very dry in the mouth as well.  She coughed and was totally miserable until she was put on medication for it. A nebulizer treamtent also helps. He will cough a lot more after and produce a lot of phlem, but that is what you want. 

Scandishakes are like ensure but much better. They have 600 caloires per serving, and 45 grams of fat. It is great becasue it helps keep the weight on so much better than the "ensures" and the like. Scandishakes can only be ordered by phone or email. Got them info. on them from one of the nutrtiionist at the radiology place. You could "google" them too as well. i do not have the info. 

For a while, it would take my mother all most 3 hours to drink 4 ounces of the shake, and 4 ounces of gatorade. (another product highly reccomended). Good luck and hang in there.

Kara, your message is exactly what I would say about my husband- type A personality with coughing and mucus and has all the same side affects but is eating on his own because he refused continuation of additional therapy after the first 7 weeks of planned treatments (radio and chemo).

He has lung cancer stage 3B.  The tumor is now gone and the pneumonia is gone but the cough and mucus are still taunting him.  His back hurt so bad and the coughing was putting him in pain.  The doctors did a vertrebralplasty to help cement his T9 vertebrae which for some reason collasped since treatment (in the last 5 weeks).  Have any of you heard about this as a side affect of radiation and chemo? 

Your post has helped me with some ideas for my husband...vaporizer, etc.  The pain he is going through is horrible.  Thanks everyone for the info.

Hi Kara,

Charles coughed and coughed after treatment. It took him about 4 months after treatment to really be able to eat and not struggle through a meal. He's still coughing, a year later - but not that often. Sometime when he's eatting he feels like all the sudden he can't swallow and then it passes. I think it just takes a while to undo what's been done.