Hello EricB,

Welcome to this forum and am sorry to hear of your throat cancer diagnosis.

I myself was diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this later summer and finished 6 weeks of radiotherapy 3 weeks ago.

I have kept a little note of my little journey on here and you might want to read..It's under living with cancer and titled "Radiotherapy for throat cancer" which I hope you find helpful.

The symtomps you desribe are pretty much expected and ones that I have experieced/still experiencing still, after treatment complete.

Still stuggling with food and am on supplement drinks called Ensure to help get fuel in bosy as I was not fitted with a PEG.

Mucus was bad for me as well and I was up during the night every half hour at its peak but I would say around the end of second week, the mucas kind of calmed down although I do still have a dry mouth constantly. I was advised and have done from the start and drink around 3/4 litres of water every day which has definetely helped. I also use lip moisturiser to keep lips moist..

Like your self Im missing my food and can resonate with the metalic taste and still have this just now and look forward to a little progession on this front.

As for swallow, were you told to do swallow exercises every day?...I would not say that swallowing stopped but was little more noticable but manageable and the trick was to drink drink then drink as it also helps recovery and uses throat muscles, which in turn helps swallowing.

I wish you well on your journey and you are welcome to ask away with any questions or if you just wanyted to chat, there is a small group of us on here that have been through thoat cancer personnaly and are able to offer any help/support/ answer questions and a few of us are at different stages so that helps. Hazel has a blog as well and am sure she will be along to say hi as well and is a great source for tips etc as well.

Keep in touch and posting on your journey as you are not alone my friend and stay positive.

kind regards

ian

Hi Ian, glad you seem to be coping , I am due to start my treatment  7th Jan. Having 30 radio  sessions with 2 chemo sessions. It really helps reading other people's experience  on here, I know we are all different but it helps. 

Wishing you well,

Gary

Hi Gary

How are you this morning. As you asked Emma about driving. I have to drive 30 Km each way for my RT and I have been for 15 treatments and been fine to drive. Had Chemo and RT yesterday, just a bit tired today and a very sore throat but apart from that, pretty good.

Best regards Eric

Hi Eric, I am not too bad thanks. 

I was asking about driving as I will have to go the other side of Birmingham every day and it will not always be possible  to get a lift.

I guess it really will depend  on how my body reacts to the treatment. 

Wishing you all the best with your treatment,  have as merry a Christmas as you can. 

God bless,

Gary

Hi Gary,

re driving I hope you manage to continue to be able to drive.

I had 30 radiotheapy sessions and managed to drive to every one of them with no issues at all. It was bit funny really as it was just right after the radiotherapy treatment stopped that the side effects really kicked in and especially fatigue etc and I just coundnt face driving as not up to it.
Finished treatment on a Friday and wasnt in car for 2 weeks after. Still not driving much and only little small local journeys.

So I hope same goes for you and your able to at least continue driving for your treatments.

kind regards

ian

Thank you Ian, just a bit concerned  how I am going to make the trip every day as my wife works. 

That's good to know, wishing you a speedy recovery  and a very merry Christmas  to you and your family.

Gary

Hi Gary

re driving ask the hospital do a patient transfer I know a hospital in Leeds does I was lucky me n hubby have retired so he drove every day. You can request early or later appointments as well theybdontry and accommodate everyone. 

In my case no way could I have driven my neck burned early on and the seat belt was too,painful on right rife ok in passenger side. Plus my concentration went totally butbeveryine is different even know. Because if the co codomol warnings I haven’t driven keep sitting in car n mentally doing if !!! 

 I drove tomour daughter  s others Sunday morn8ng and was fine but longer journeys nit yet 

hazel 

Hi Hazel,

Thank you for your reply, I guess it's a case of see how it goes we are all different  so we have to see what happens.

Hope all is well

Gary

Hi Garry

another win for the baggies today So hubby is pleased. You asked about driving - well we were in a planes , trains and automobiles situation. We had to drive to the end of Ryde pier, get the catamaran across the solent to Portsmouth and then a taxi to the radiotherapy unit in Havant then the same home. It was a bit of a trial so I have to say after the first couple of weeks Paul fekt to exhausted to drive. I think if we had lived closer he may have been ok. One thing I would say is check if you can get parking for free or at reduced price as I know its a bit of a walk to the hospital from the car parks there and finding a space can be hard ( Ive visited there many times) 

As for work - Paul worked as much as he could even when he got admitted with severe vomiting and when we looked at some of tge emails he sent - well chemo brain - say no more lol Luckily his clients understood . 

Hope your necks feeling better and not too bruised.

best wishes 

Emma xx boing boing ! 

Hi Everyone

A happy Christmas to you all or at best as Happy as you can make it. Personally not to too bad, half way through the RT now have a four day rest. Had my second Chemo on Thursday last, no real problems with after effects, taking the prescribed meds seems to do the trick. Throat not as sore, still some trouble with swallowing, using the PEG at this point. Keeping positive and determined to beat it.

I am curious about time scales that we have all experienced. From first discovery of a lump to the point of full diagnosis and intervention. Perhaps you would be kind enough to give me an idea of your journey.

Also to prevent problems with mucas, mouth and throat ulcers has anyone had a full spectrum amino acid recommended or prescribed. If so some details would be appreciated.

I look forward to your replies, thanking you in anticipation.

Very Best Regards Eric.

Hi Eric,

I'm sure others will follow and most of my journey is on my blof here "Radiotherpay for Cancer" but basically my little journey is as follows.

Little bit of misdiagnosis inbetween which didnt help but hey ho.

I started around January this year and had constant sore throat that wouldnt go away...I was at GP 4 times before they referred me and around April. Kept on being told vitus/nothing/will go away on own.
First referall to first consuntant in May - told me was flux and acid on stomach causing problems to throat and also potentially tonsilitis as swollen and red. Put scope down nose to have a look and was totld categoricaly it was NOT cancer. Was given landoprosole ( not sure spelling) which I then had 4 weeks chronic diohareah the admitted to hospital ofr a week on steroids. I then missed my 2nd ENT appt.
Wasnt till they stopped that medication my bowels calmed down after being diagnosed with Microscopic Colitis.

Went for my follow up 2nd ENT appt in June thinking getting date to have tonsilitis confirmed & removed but soon as they put scope down nose again, different consultant was not happy, had 2 other opinions and definately a lesion there and was cancer until shown otherwise. 

Was told that day was being prepped for surgery instantly and being fasttracked to get tonsil out and biopsy.
Next appt confirmed cancer and this was around July. Was then told 30 radiotherpay sessions, teeth out then mask made before treatment. Was also told curable so I kinda just went into positive mode and got on with it mentally and was determined just to face whatever was ahead, head on and try and keep cheery and positive, which I have.

Given all prep work with surgery then dental surgery treatment didnt start until October this year and I finished my sessions 23 Nov.

Hope that helps answer timescale question (sorry if over wordy) but bascially symptoms I would say started around January this year and real intervention and plan didnt start until around July and treatment starting in October, sessions finished Novmeber and am now in recovery period.

As for muscus, never had amino acids prescibed, but like most suffered quite a bit and at peak was up every half hour during night brining up.
All I was given was Calphasol and Diffflam to help, plus a nebuliser which also helped.
Mucas I would say has pretty musch stopped completely from last week although my main contention and still is to this day is to drink, drink then drink again plenty water. I belive this has been the biggest help for me and was also told by radiotherpist to drink as much as possible as will help recovery.

Pretty much been a year out with one thing or another and although I have remained positibe and still am to this day, its been a gruelling journey, but one there is light at end of the tunnel for.

Have a great festive period and hope your sied effects are limited as much as possible and wishing you a speedy road to your recovery.

Onwards and upwards !

kind regards

Ian
 

Hi Emma, don't rub it in, I went to Villa yesterday  to watch the debacle,  2.0 up half time and lose 3.2.

Anyway,  I will try and drive as long as I can but it is a case of suck it and see.

Hoping you all have a Merry Christmas and a healthy  new year.

Gary

Hi Emma, don't rub it in, I went to Villa yesterday  to watch the debacle,  2.0 up half time and lose 3.2.

Anyway,  I will try and drive as long as I can but it is a case of suck it and see.

Hoping you all have a Merry Christmas and a healthy  new year.

Gary

Hi Gary 

Hope you managed to have a relaxing Christmas before you start your treatment . Baggies snatched a draw today so creeping up on Norwich ! and I see you guys got a draw too . 

Sending you best wishes 

Emma xxx