Question about radiotherapy on neck. Tumour.on tongue that has spread to my lymph node. I'll find put Friday when it all starts.

Hi ZOEC and a very warm welcome to the Macmillan Community.

I know from experience having been on my cancer journey for over 26 years with two very rare, hard to treat types of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphomas (one incurable), Asbestosis and Prostate Cancer that navigating this journey can be such a stressful and challenging time but talking with and getting support from people who have walked or are walking the ‘exact same' journey can help a lot.

The Community is actually divided into dedicated cancer specific Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) so can I recommend that you look to join and put up your own post in our dedicated……..

     Head and neck cancer

…….. support group.

This group is a safe place to talk to others with a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support.

I found a product called Healios helped so much with the mouth sores. It soothes the mouth as well as assist healing and prevention of mucositis- which is miserable I am sorry to warn you. 

ZOEC said:

Would appreciate top tips to prepare myself more for the side effects as opposed to the therapy itself. 

Hi ZOEC 

Pop this question into the Head and Neck Cancer group you've posted in already

There is also Helpful Tips for treatment Just click on the link I've made

ZOEC 

Jennifish said:

I found a product called Healios helped so much with the mouth sores. It soothes the mouth as well as assist healing and prevention of mucositis- which is miserable I am sorry to warn you. 

Healios is American though you can get it here in the UK at great expense. We get lots of stuff for our mouths from our team. The most important is the offer of a feeding tube. If you are offered it grab the chance

i’m startignradiotherapy in few weeks i’m so scared i have throat cancer had my tonsils removed and ive just had all my teeth removed as i didn’t take

care of them they have refused a

peg but im absolutly petrified of the pain after around 3 weeks can anyone help and talk to me

xx

Tannis

Stay with us on the head and neck cancer forum

AND

Give Chris Curtis of The Swallows a ring. It's a Throat cancer charity with a 24hour helpline manned by real people. Often Chris (an ex cancer sufferer himself) answers

Here is the website address https://theswallows.org.uk/

And here is the support line telephone number

07504 725 059

Tannis said:

they have refused a

peg but im absolutly petrified of the pain after around 3 weeks can anyone help and talk to me

Don't worry about not having a PEG. I didn't. When it got too hard to swallow I had a nasogastric tube fitted. It's not pretty but it did the job. All my food and pain meds went through it

Please believe me when I say the pain can be managed.

I was 68 when I started treatment and I was OK

oh thank you so much i cannot talk yet can u do it by chat 

wow your an amazing women i don’t like the idea of a peg i had a camera down my nose to my throat and that was bad enough im 49 on the good side ive managed to quit smoking x

Tannis said:

i had a camera down my nose to my throat and that was bad enough

Next time ask them for a local anaesthetic spray. My oncologist was pretty slick doing it and I never needed any but it should be offered to you