Head and neck radio recovery

Hi all. I'm 3 weeks done from 33 rounds of radio to my sinus. It has burned my tongue, cheek and roof of the mouth. I can drink liquids (water, juice and fortisip shakes - I need those for weight loss) but food is an absolute disaster for me. The stinging and burning on my tongue is so overwhelming I punch out and it has brought tears to my eyes a few times. But time is running out. I don't have a timescale, but the longer this goes on, the worse I fear it will be. Does anyone else have a similar experience and what was their personal timescale for this? I have tried mushed foods such as broccoli and cauliflower but again, the sensation was too much. The texture was also strange. And I cannot have anything with orange or lemon (citric acids - wow the pain).

So yeah, anyone tell me when I might be able to enjoy a pizza and a beer again? Thanks, Matt. 

  • Hello Matt,

    I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing discomfort when trying to have mushed foods like broccoli and cauliflower.

    I hope other members who have gone through a similar experience will soon be here with some tips on how you can get started on your way to a nice pizza and beer again but until they reply I thought I might leave you with this page from our website where you can find suggestion on how to deal with eating, digestion or weight loss problems when you have cancer. Alternatively, if you feel like asking our team of nurses for advice, they'd be happy to chat with you Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m on this freephone 0808 800 4040.

    I hope this helps.

    All the best,

    Renata, Cancer Chat Moderator