Hi, am new to using forums so don't really know what I'm doing. My dad got diagnosed with upper oesophageal cancer stage 3/4 in August 22 and has had radiotherapy treatment, he can't have chemo due to other medical issues, however lately he has started developing excessive saliva when he is eating and almost choking on it. Does anyone know if this is due to the radiation effecting his saliva glands or due to the progression of the cancer? I'm just getting passed from the ENT to SALT to oncology departments and nobody will give me answer, let alone tell me how we can try and relieve my dad's symptoms. Thanks.
Hi Annie80 and a very warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but sorry to hear about your dad.
A cancer diagnosis in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' cancer type or support challenges will help you a lot....... I have a totally different type of cancer and treatment journey so have no first hand experience to help you out
The New to Community is like our reception desk where we try to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support. The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms)........ but I do see that you have already joined our dedicated……
…… support group. This group is a safe places to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same support journey.
As for the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your dad and indeed yourself you may benefit from joining and posting in our……
......... if you are your dad's caregiver you can join our Carers only
Supporting someone with incurable cancer
……. support groups where you will connect with a wide range of members navigating the exact same support challenges.
To connect with a group click on the “Bold Italic Links” I have created above …… then once the group page opens click in the [Black - Click to Join - Banner] that appears at the bottom of the page and this will then confirm that you have joined the group.
When you are ready……. you can introduce yourself by putting up your very own post by clicking [+ Create new post] or [ + ] in the top right of the group page and putting
You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
You may find it helpful to call the Macmillan Support Line open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support or just a listening ear.
We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow 3 working days for a reply.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and support all the family.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
