8Weeks Post Tx

Hi everyone.

This is my first post to the message board after many months of reading.  My husband is eight weeks out of radiation/erbitux treatment for tonsil cancer.  The positive is that he had a clean post treatmnet PET scan.  He had a PEG tube (his lifeline) in 3 week of treatment and remains on today.  He struggles to take water or any liquid and usually tries once every 3 days.  After each try he feels the backlash in pain, coughing, thick mucas, etc.  He is really miserable and doesn't see any end in sight and is getting depressed about the future.  I have suggessted a few things: try to do something small each day that provides joy, like gardening; perhaps requesting a weekly visiting nurse to help him regain his swallowing funcion and minimzing the pain, and maybe getting a doctors appt sooner than his next monthly visit. 

I am there for him and want to help but don't know the best approach.  Does anyone have any suggestions? 

 Thank you all so much.

Sarah

Hi Sarah. Congratulations on his clean PET and completion of treatment.

At 8 weeks, he should be starting to feel better and the mucus should be tapering off, but everyone is different in their response to treatment and their recovery time. I hope he is getting painkillers for his throat ( I had liquid oxycodone, helped tremendously, and magic mouthwash ). Just getting the pain knocked back will help in swallowing and help improve his outlook. Try getting him some glutamine supplement, it's said to help the body heal the damage from radiation. I started taking it and I do feel it helps. Ask your oncologist if his recovery time is typical for his staging and treatment.

You have a good idea with getting him into gardenening or something he would enjoy. Just make sure he doesnt push himself to far too fast. He'll feel like doing more than he's really able to at first.

I'm 8 months out of treatment for tonsil cancer, stage 4a, and I'm doing fairly well, so there is light at the end of the tunnel, it just takes a little time to get there.

 Best wishes,

Mike

Hi

Sarah

i am a liitle behind your husband 6 weeks past Tx for tonsil cancer

40 rad and 3 cysplatain

I am doing better on the swallowing than it sounds he is right now, I used slippery elm tea and good raw honey everyday to help heal and protect my throat,

I also had the Peg tube I had it done before Tx started and  was able to get it out 4 wks past Tx with a clean Cat scan

I will not have a PET till Sept but have been looked at by all my Dr and so far so good.

Does your husband use pain meds  before he ties to eat or swallow

I took a percacet before I eat and it allowed me get things down and the more I got down the better it got (no day at the beach) but I think that pushing it did allow it to heal and the tea and honey was the first thing and it really helps.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, it does get better

I s your husband on any Meds for depression and anxiety  I am take Lexapro and Ambine for sleeping both seems to help a great deal and allow this whole process to move forward.

As my last Post showed not haveing it moments but at least still here and going forward

John