Hi everyone
I had chemo and radiotherapy Aug- Oct 2021 for left tonsilar cancer (HPV) plus one lymph node. I had 2 x chemo and 35 radios. I spent 2 weeks in hospital due to dehydration . I've had, like others, multiple ulcers in my mouth and one particularly persistent little b******d on my epiglottis. I lost 2 stones in weight and had 5 teeth removed pre treatment.
I am now 9 and a half months post treatment and I have been to some very dark places in that time. For many months I truly believed that I would never eat again or feel normal. I fully used a PEG from week 2 of treatment and until 4 weeks ago. I couldn't swallow anything but sips of water for 5 months so lost considerable swallowing ability. I found the lack of eating terribly difficult and isolating.
In the past 4 months I have worked on my throat muscles and slowly, slowly started to eat again. I'm nowhere near to eating 'normally'. I don't enjoy eating yet (was previously a confirmed foodie) and find it very tiring. I have what I consider a mostly soft diet because anything more sticks in my throat and my throat makes a very loud squelching noise. It's pretty antisocial lol. However, just this week my mouth is slightly less dry (hurrah!!!) and I have, very slowly managed to eat new potatoes and a small amount of tuna and broccoli (previously impossible). I returned to work 6 weeks ago. I can now go for walks which I have always loved (with plenty of water!). I have left the awful fatigue behind.
I do believe that things will continue to improve and so I just wanted to hopefully give anyone else in my position some hope too.
Thank you for those links - I shall have a look and see if I can get my taste buds going again 
I shall hold onto that thought - one day I’ll maybe enjoy a sausage sandwich again!
thankyou
You will, you will. Stuff might not taste the same for a while but you will get there. I managed a rare steak at 12 weeks (my favourite when I do eat the little meat that I do)....does that sentence make sense?
It was the last thing I ate before RT started and I was so looking forward to it. It was wonderful that I could swallow it but it tasted of NOTHING. I perfected the art of blowing air from my mouth back through my nose which helped me taste. I didn't give up and though my taste is a little screwy sometimes that steak is fine again.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below
https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com
