On 5/12/2008
Defjoeb wrote:
Yes,
rad is radiation. Where were you radiated? Everybody reacts differently
to it and it may not be so bad in most parts of the body but in the
head and neck area it's absolutely terrible. 2nd and 3rd degree burns
in the throat, mucositis (it's much worse than it sounds), constant
pain, the inability to swallow even saliva, damage to the mouth and
gums (blisters, thrush), permanent damage to salivary glands (saliva is
a very underrated fluid, you don't know how much you need it until you
lose it), etc... Many people (myself included) lose the ability to
swallow and have to relearn it. Thankfully most ill effects are
temporary and the permanent ones can be dealt with.
I hope I
didn't scare any newbies. It's always good to hear someone who goes
through it easily. It gives the newly diagnosed some hope that it won't
be so terrible for them.
Good luck.
Joe
Joe
How did you relearn to swallow?
I've been on a g-tube for a year and a half and it's getting old.
Bruce