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 Eric 

Brief timeline - my hubby first felt a slightly enlarged lymph node on the right side of his neck at the end of October 2015. As he had a cold to be honest we thought it was due to that. However by the end of November the swelling was still there and it had grown. We visited the GP who at first thought it was a thyroid problem. When his blood tests came back clear we saw another GP who immediately referred him on the 2 week cancer pathway to an ENT Consultant. We saw the consultant on the 8 th December, had a Ultrasound with FNA on the 9th December, results confirming SCCancer on the 11th December, CT head and chest with contrast on the 12th December, tonsillectomy and further biopsies 15th December and eventually started 6weeks of Chemoradiation on the 8th February. He had few symptoms other than night sweats and the swelling- no sore throats etc

12 weeks aftet completing the treatment and following his PET-CT he underwent a neck dissection as his lymph node tumour hadnt cleared. 

Hope this hells and good luck

best wishes

Emma

Hi Emma, Ian & Hazel and everyone else on this forum.

Firstly have the best Christmas you can and we hope you have a fabulous 1999, I certainly have every intention to do so. Thank you to all those who gave me their brief time line of events, that really helps.

In my case 11th June, discovered a lump in my neck behind my ear about the size of a grape. GP next day. Full Thorax X Ray, then referred to ENT. 12th July, who was very concerned. TAC Scan one week later followed by a biopsy. 6th August PET Scan. By this time the lump had doubled in size. 4th September, BOMB SHELL, I was told it was inoperable as the tumour surrounded the carotid artery and some major nerves. They said there may be a chance of reducing the tumour using Chemo & RT and treatment will start straight away. They also referred me to the specialist Cancer Hospital in Valencia. An incredible surgeon there was very straight with me, it did not look good but he believed he could operate straight away but there was a chance of severe peripheral damage as it was going to be a very complicated operation. 3rd October, 5 hour operation, they removed a deep agressive tumour 81mm by 51mm in size. they managed to do this with out the need for reconstructive surgery and no major nerve damage, incredible. Felt like I had been hit by a truck, twice. 3 days ICU, then 5 days in hospital. Plans to start Chemo and RT 6 weeks later allowing things to heal. 29th November, first 3 hour Chemo and first RT, then one every day. Second chemo 20th December. And so it continues. Since leaving hospital I have to say I have not felt too bad, pretty good infact up until two days ago (after 2nd Chemo). Really not having a good day today, generally feel rough. Sore throat, very dry mouth, can only swallow liquids in small amounts, Having to use the PEG feeding tube with special liquid food. Still I am about half way through the treatment and no one said it was going to be easy, but I will get through it and I will beat it. Sorry if I have rambled abit but it does help to get "it out there".

My very best regards Eric. 

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

Hi Eric

ouch yiuve certainky been through it to get to this now  stage .i am now 16 weeks post radiotherapy and have my pet ctbscan in Thursday. Eating and drinking doesn’t get harder but eventually comes back one word if advised use yiu right peg butbtey and maintain your swallow index only sips if water will make it easier down the kine

good luck

keep in yiu h

hazsl 

Thank you, have a happy new year , let's hope we both get promoted this year.

I will keep you posted on how my treatment  is going.

Gary

Good luck Gary

shout out if you need to know anything or just a general rant

hazel

Thank you Hazel, really  appreciate  it,

Happy  New year.

Gary

Hi Hazel

Best of luck for Thursday, let me know how you get on, I assume you will have to wait a few days for the result.  Did your RT affect your taste buds. If so how long did it take for them to recover. My last RT is on 14th Jan and my last chemo on 10th Jan so you are a good 18 or so weeks ahead of me. Did you get any problems re Mucas or mouth ulcers.

Best regards Eric.

Hi Eric

thamk you. Will do am due at hospital at 1245 for pet ct scan my Radiotherapy finished 31 August .i will get the results on the 14 th  January at 1230 we have flights booked to Murcia the 19 th !,, for 3 weeks then ferry booked end of February for longbstay  we renta longvteem an apartment in the Mar Menor quite often get to el fondo the nature reserve near Crevielliente  think you are in that area ? U never know we may meet up at something point. 

Inhad mouth ulcers in my right cheek from week 2 my next back tooth disappeared for 12 weeks into my cheek which was painful every time I took a tabketbor sucked food n drink but git used to it. .i also had a radiation burn the full length of my tongue from week 4 up until 3 weeks ago. My oncologist knew that would happen as the margins he wanted to take couldn’t avoid my tongue he didn’t tell me until radiotherapy was over it has  now atrophied and is a white lumpy jelly  nice. But  I can eat and drink not alcohol but that’s fine I practically stopped drinking 10 years ago.

mucus oh yes I had the stringybwallpater paste for weeks , then put on carbusistine which dried it up but then u are left withith drybmouth so it’s the worst if 2 evils.

i never lost tats buds which again is a good/bad thing as I could taste everything and it’s wasnt always pleasant inhad home made soup one day tasted like I had emptied the Mediterranean Sea in it. Wher people who lost taste could eat anything  but in long run some are still struggling with taste and mine is ok. 

Dont know if you’ve read my blog 

www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com

fingers x for you keep in touch .

for the ulcers I was prescribed Gelclair £74/for a weeks supply! Didn’t work for me but lots swore by it 

hazel

Just an update from me, im nearing the end of week 5 of 6 and can still taste fine, swallowing surprisingly good if I dont try to swallow large amounts..I had toast yesterday :), after losing 8 lbs last week Im now steady again, taking plenty of fluids on which is vital to recovery. Iv stopped taking the Oramorph as I hate being constipated, still on the liquid Paracetamol and Pregabalin.

I must be a veteran now as Im seeing new patients starting treatment in the waiting room, just 8 sessions to go and feeling ok ish. 

Dave

Just an update from me, im nearing the end of week 5 of 6 and can still taste fine, swallowing surprisingly good if I dont try to swallow large amounts..I had toast yesterday :), after losing 8 lbs last week Im now steady again, taking plenty of fluids on which is vital to recovery. Iv stopped taking the Oramorph as I hate being constipated, still on the liquid Paracetamol and Pregabalin.

I must be a veteran now as Im seeing new patients starting treatment in the waiting room, just 8 sessions to go and feeling ok ish. 

Dave

thats great Dave and good to hear you doing so well ..

hope this keeps up and and let us know of your continuing progress

kind regards

ian

Good luck it’s a strange feeling coming towards the end if treatments and seeingbthe new people Just starting.

i had my final pet ct scan today results  in 10 day a time .was so strange going back to them cancer centre feeling so well ,when I think back to my last week if radiotherapy,radiation burns on neck 3 rd degree and tongue. My aim tidaybwas a sandwich from boots and I did it ,it’s  the little things 

hazel