A Little Discouraged

Here it is, over 2 weeks since left-side under-tongue surgery with graft. It went very well but will take some time for the swelling and pain to subside. A setback, but I can deal with that part. However, I saw my surgeon last Thursday and it turns out I have an ulcer or sore that doesn't seem to be healing in my throat where the cancer was radiated. Perhaps it just takes longer due to the amount of rad., I don't know, but he is watching me closely and I go back in 2 weeks. At long last, a PET scan is scheduled for May 23. I still can't swallow food yet, and barely get by with liquids--I have kept up swallowing though, all along--due to pain and the ever-present mucus that won't subside (last radiation treatment was on 2/20!). I'm using the PEG tube which I've had since December and also I have continuous feeding overnight with the pump machine--I'm down to 102 and can't afford to lose any more weight (I'm 5'7"). I'm wondering if anyone else has had sores or ulcers that weren't healing. Thanks a bunch and bless all of you,

 Becky 

Hello Becky,

                   Yes, I had a ulcer that was a bit slow in healing. The radiation does cause damage to tissue, gums, etc.  I don't know if it was mentioned to you to rinse and gargle with the combination of salt and baking soda in room temp. water. I did this often each day and it helped with the discomfort in my mouth.

                    What do you use in the PEG tube. I was using Nutrin 1.5 and needed roughly 8 cans per day to keep my weight up. The easy method to figure the number of calories that you need per day to keep your weight is  12  X  your current lbs. =  calories per day.  I weighed 225 at the time. So  12 X 225= 2700 calories. I wanted to lose a few lbs., so I took in less cans and got down to 210.  I used the gravity feed method, so I could get the cans in faster and move on. Adjust according to gain or reduce.

                     My best to you for a speedy recovery

I use store-brand nutrition, just like Ensure or Boost but less expensive. I try to take in 6 cans per "cycle"--3 during the day (all I can handle at the moment) and 3 cans overnight. I talked with a nutritionist and we have it figured out. I never could gargle, and was rinsing my mouth using the salt/baking soda at room temp. for a while but it tasted so awful I couldn't do it any more. Mouth sores weren't much of a problem, however. I think that the sore or ulcer is what's causing the mucus to hang on for so long. Yuck!

   Becky
 

  
 

Sounds like you have a good plan, the mucus will hang on for awhile, or at least it did with me. I drank alot of water once I was able to swallow again. The mucus started to thin out, it may take awhile.

I hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

On 5/12/2008 wordweasel wrote:

Here it is, over 2 weeks since left-side under-tongue surgery with graft. It went very well but will take some time for the swelling and pain to subside. A setback, but I can deal with that part. However, I saw my surgeon last Thursday and it turns out I have an ulcer or sore that doesn't seem to be healing in my throat where the cancer was radiated. Perhaps it just takes longer due to the amount of rad., I don't know, but he is watching me closely and I go back in 2 weeks. At long last, a PET scan is scheduled for May 23. I still can't swallow food yet, and barely get by with liquids--I have kept up swallowing though, all along--due to pain and the ever-present mucus that won't subside (last radiation treatment was on 2/20!). I'm using the PEG tube which I've had since December and also I have continuous feeding overnight with the pump machine--I'm down to 102 and can't afford to lose any more weight (I'm 5'7"). I'm wondering if anyone else has had sores or ulcers that weren't healing. Thanks a bunch and bless all of you,

 Becky 

Becky, my husband is 4 weeks out of radiation, and he, too, has a very sore spot in in throat that is just taking forever to heal.  His doctors think to think it will heal in time, but is just taking longer.   Plus his tongue took a wallopping hit, as well.  The docs think if it's not more thrush, than perhaps it is an ulcer, but it will heal. he didn't have a tube and, at 5'8  is down from 166 lbs. to 133.   We're doing our best to get him to take in at least 2000 calories a day, and DQ milkshakes have 1100 calories, so he forces down at least one of those a day. Bless you for getting through this.  You have a lot of support here.

Gwen

Gwen:

 Just read your post on "People Just Don't Understand" and then this one. Sounds like your husband is improving!  Thanks for the advice on DQ  milkshakes and hope to pick up a few this weekend--it doesn't matter if they've melted or not, just as long as the calories are in there. I wish your husband and you all the best. 

Becky  

yes this situation is difficult, i had a sore on my tounge that seemed to last forever.my throat had those sores too my natuopath recomended a natural product called GLUTAMINE POWDER, it is a swish and swallow and heals the mouth and throat.it is a dietary supplement too, also i drank alot of protein  shakes.also there is a prescription they called magic mouthwash it kinda numbed the throat so i could get some pills in. it was so bad that my throat pretty much was shut and so sensitive, i had to drink warm water with a straw in the back of my throat, it was a journey believe me, one day at a time. good luck and god bless.