Hi Nicola,

How are you doing?
My mom starts her radiotherapy from tomorrow onwards, she took the expensive treatment which doctor told her that will have less side effect, I hope it does. She told me that her upper neck near her ear have a big swollen there, is that normal?
and can i know that is it completely recover after the radiotherapy? 

Hope you are fine there.

Take care!

Ping

Hi Nicola,

How did your ultrasound scan go? I assume that there was no problem?

Ping - If the swelling you mention is a swollen lymph gland then you may well find that it reduces in size during the radiotherapy. I had an initial swelling that was a swollen lymph node - this was removed for biopsy. Then another one swelled up to the size of half an egg. It slowly disappeared when I was about half-way through the treatment.

Guzzle - Everyone recovers from radiotherapy at different rates. Personally I would not have been comfortable travelling just a few weeks after the treatment had finished but then everyone is different. I couldn't eat, drink or talk for a few weeks and my PEG tube wasn't removed for four months. You may well be fine. I know a lot of people who have sailed through the recovery. Radiation to the head and neck is a funny old business and can do strange things to eating and sleeping habits. As I said, I would not have gone abroad but you may well be okay. You will need to tell your travel insurance company about your situation though.

Simon xx

Simon, just lucky so far but throat is getting sore and pain meds required to eat. From what gather this will get worse. Fingers crossed mate!

Hi all

Glad to hear that you are all doing well. It seems crazy that you are still waiting for your peg removal, Nicola, when you are now eating. Glad to hear that you are managing wine!

Guzzle, you are doing so well. You haven't mentioned phlegm - is this not a problem for you? By the stage you are at, I couldn't talk because the phlegm was so bad. I was like something out of Alien foaming at the mouth!

Simon - you have progressed exactly the same as I did (although I didn't have the night sweats). Don't worry I'm sure you'll be back on the spicey stuff soon. I was out for a curry with the girls last night and, at one stage, I thought I'd never be eating it again. I'm sorry, Irene, but I can't guarantee the same for chips as I still find them too dry. I can't quite take my Scouser husband's advice and have gravy with them!

Keep going - you are all nearly there!

Debbie

Deb , get a bit of phlegm in morning but not terrible yet touch wood. Your husband is a wise man. Try chips and mushroom /onion gravy. Its a post pub delicacy. I think my taste is going a bit and things are blander. Managed slow 3 mile jog this morning. Delighted you enjoyed a curry. You able to enjoy a sly beer etc yet? Regards, Gary.

Hi Guzzle, I'd forgotten all about that Phlegm scene ! When I had it I used to find that very lightly salted warm water would cut through it for a bit I remember Deb having it bad ! You sound like you're doing fantastically well mate and Deb you're sounding positive and really good . I found Guinness was the drink of choice for me :-).

Keep at it mate !

Ferry

Ferry, would live a guiness but am terrified what it would do to me on painkillers! Could end up getting stomach pumped! Looking forward to a beer when through treatment. How long did it take you to get off painkillers and sink a beer? Just had some prawns and taste Definately off (hopefully prawns weren't )

Good to hear from you , G.

PS when through and recovered going to have a trip to Leeds to meet access if you fancy it mate.

If I can make it mate I will, my son is going to Leeds uni if he gets his grades . I tried to stay off the painkillers as much as I could, didn't like what they did to my insides ! I was having the odd bevvy within about 2 weeks weeks of finishing treatment, I can remember sitting in the pub thinking I can't wait to get rid of this peg :-).

Take it easy mate !

Ferry

Yep! Not big on painkillers. A necessary evil to keep eating unfortunately. I would hope to be off them asap after finishing treatment and enjoying the occasional pint. This losing taste business quite unpleasant but Ill just keep shovelling the food in like fuel as little ng as I cab. Ive been lucky so far mate.

Diff lam oral rinse was what I had for my throat and tongue and I found it helped me loads, I also tried to have a little spicy food as often as I could and now I can deal with a fair bit of heat, not as much as before and nothing tastes quite the same anymore. But I'm still here thanks to the wonderful nhs !

Ferry

Hello friends

That's really encouraging news re the curry Debbie, but not the chips!  However have discovered that I can manage a few made from sweet potato rather than normal spuds, as the texture is a bit more moist.  Quite nice mashed too.

Had a rather nasty experience last night - possibly wine to blame.  I've been having terrible problems with heartburn this past week and was blaming peppers originally.  They've never bothered me before and I love them.  Had them 3 times this week both in salad and a casserole and each time had really painful heartburn at night, which added to excess throat phlegm made me cough until sick.  Same happened again last night (without any peppers) but I had had a couple of glasses of wine.  Apologies for TMI but when I was sick I didn't bring up my whole meal (thankfully) just liquid and it was so acidic that it literally burnt my throat and mouth to the point there was blood coming from somewhere - hard to tell but I think back of palate which is looking pretty inflamed and still feeling tender today.  Glad I didn't throw the last Difflam out - it nipped like mad at first but then soothed things quite well! Anyone else had this sort of experience?  I was pretty alarmed at the blood but I guess our throats are still pretty sensitive after all the radiotherapy.  Looks like I'd better keep off peppers and wine or ration myself to one glass!  How annoying when they were two things I was just beginning to enjoy again.

Good to hear everyone else is doing fine, especially you Gary.  You sound like you are coping really well with treatment - I'm sure your general fitness level must be a major contributor.  Simon, I was really touched by your concern when all went quiet after my PEG came out - I should have been in touch sooner!

Nicola - I hope you don't have too much longer to wait for your PEG removal.  It does seem a very long time to wait, especially if you are willing to have it done the quick way.

Love Irene

Irene, I hope its the peppers rather than the wine! You are doing well trying. Hows your taste buds now? Mine are going a bit wonky but can still eat. Just want to get it over with and into recovery mode now. Were you on red or white!

cheers, Gary

Irene, I hope its the peppers rather than the wine! You are doing well trying. Hows your taste buds now? Mine are going a bit wonky but can still eat. Just want to get it over with and into recovery mode now. Were you on red or white!

cheers, Gary

Hi Gary

My taste buds are gradually improving but still preferring sweet to savoury.  Can't say I'm really enjoying my food yet, but managing to eat pretty normally now.  You described it as 'shovelling down like fuel' and it's pretty much the same for me.  Oh and the wine was rose!

Best of luck for the last part of your treatment and hope you manage to keep on shovelling.

Irene

Hi Irene et al,

I still suffer from excess mucas after 7 years. I had 42 Rt sessions(The French don't mess about).

Although I can only drink a small amount, I have a little hot coffee. I find this softens the mucas and

it is easier to cough up. Also its good to cough from the diaphram not the chest.(like when you sneeze)

I used to get discomfort from too much coughing

They carved away a lot at the back of my throat so I can easily see into my throat.  I remove stubborn

bits of mucas with a long (10'') pair of tweasers.  If I so much as touch the surface it bleeds right away.

Your Rt being very recent I expect your throat is still very sensitive.  I think it is worth mentioning at the hospital

as they will be able to see if your throat is the source of your bleeding.

I have a very small amount of wine half and half with water. I still find it too painful on its own. I use a liquer glass.

I find if I don't concentrate I have a choking fit.  As I have my 7 year checkup next month I'm not complaining.

Gary,  You seem to be sailing through your treatment.  I could not have managed a 1 mile run at your stage,

but then I am somewhat older.

Regards

Colin

Colin. Don't know about sailing but been lucky compared to many. Sore throat managable with meds so far. Just had a cheese sandwich but took crusts off and had it with sips of water. Followed by small pork pie. Just small bites taking my time. My goal is to get through without the dreaded NG tube which necessitates a hospital stay. A bonus would be to get through without nasty suppliment drinks. I know both are a possibility though. I like the term et al. Reminds me of acadaemia. IM going to try a cookie now, Regards, Gary.

Hi Colin

Thanks for the feedback.  I will certainly mention this problem at my next check-up which is 4th June.  Sorry to hear that the mucus is still bothering you after so long.  Think I'd better get myself used to the idea of being in for the long haul - I met a guy recently who after 12 years has major throat-clearing problems in the morning and I felt a tad downhearted when he also said he still doesn't enjoy food much and seldom eats out for that reason. However, like you, he wasn't complaining, just happy to be well and enjoying life otherwise.

I can't seem to get it through to my husband that the throat-clearing is a side-effect of the RT which I have to live with and that he has to learn to live with the nasty noises that come with it!  Like you, I find things ease off a bit after my first coffee in the morning. 

Cheers

Irene