Husband 3 months post treatment

Hey, I'm 13 months post treatment for tonsil cancer and have come on leaps and bounds in the past 6 months. I can eat just about anything but have little tolerance for very spicy foods anymore. Saliva has been pretty good in recent months too. I don't think it'll ever be what it used to and I do occasionally feel suddenly very parched but I can't remember the last time I routinely took a water bottle out with me. I don't enjoy mince very much anymore. Too grainy but that's likely just me. And the idea of certain fruits makes my teeth itch! No reason why though. I cough a lot when I eat and had a barium swallow investigation last week which has shown the development of a small pouch due to radiotherapy. 

But it does get better. And once it starts to get better it happens quite quickly. At least it did for me. 

I hope he starts to enjoy more foods soon

Hi. I wasn’t eating properly till six months. Up to then it was a case of trying soft foods. 
4 years on my saliva is reduced but manageable. I had both sides of my neck irradiated and lost the submandibular glands which produce background saliva and one parotid that works when one eats food. There are hundreds of little salivary glands in the mouth and lips and they will recover a little. 
I chewed gum to stimulate my saliva and still use a xylimelt at night. 
I had a course of acupuncture to kick start things and that worked very well. 
There are a couple of posts about it in my blog linked at the bottom of this post 

Hi it can take time my blog below might help there’s a detailed timetable of what I had. Briefly reckon in a giid 6 months but I started with poached eggs  in well buttered toast no crusts toast well buttered was easie than bread.  Crumpets as well are ok Gradually adding a smashed avocado. Sweet thjngs like trifles custards  jelly. . Dipping biscuits in coffee couldn’t drink the coffe but. Meat does take a good while, slow cooked lam shoulder in lots of gravy dumplings chicken thighs far easier than chicken breast    Think nursery type food , potatoes hard sweet potato easier. Here’s a link ti a cook book might help you Taste can take a good 6 months and some thjngs might always taste different  

lMy incoligustbsaid he woukd cure me but also take a year out if my life he did both  

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/66263025/cookbook-by-andrew-gaylor-head-and-neck-cancer-survivor-2022
this is also,worth a read 

https://www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf
I printed copies for family and friends 

Thanks for reply. He’s quite an  impatient man. Also this is his 2nd time having cancer. He had Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma 15 years ago. 

Thanks. Will have a read of your blog. He’s very impatient. Right now he is trying super noodles  He can manage poached eggs but not keen on bread. He can even eat bacon but has to be fried which he never done before, it was always grilled. It’s all trial and error at the moment. I’m going back to work on Monday after 4 months off. 

I good luck with work. bread can take a good whike I was used to baking my own but for a good year it was  cheap and nasty white bread. Mostly toasted , yes fried is easier might not be the healthy option but even now I can struggle with grilled meats as it’s too hard. Plain super noodles plus try tinned macoroni cheese. It’s often like I said nursery food for a while. 
Hazel x he will getbthere. I took mantra food is fuel got very little enjoyment but it worked. 

Anniemac said:

not keen on bread.

Try toast. Lashings of butter. Toast doesn’t dry saliva up because the pores in the bread that soak moisture up are closed 

Buttter is a big no for him. He can’t stand the smell of it. It’s the whole no saliva that’s the worst for him. I think if he had saliva he would manage a lot better. Hopefully it comes back soon. Thanks for reply. All help is greatly appreciated x

Hi Annimac,

I can echo the comments already made. It is still early days and can be very difficult. I too struggled for some time following treatment and finding foods I could manage and even occasionally enjoy was a challenge. However it does improve and I can now eat and drink well although there are still certain things I cannot tolerate. Meat in particular is still difficult. Stick with it and follow the mantra “food is fuel”. I also lost over 2 stone and have now regained about half of that and back to normal activities.

ca tonsil HPV +ve. July 2021

All the best for his PET scan.

- Jonn

Thanks for your comment Jonn. Can you give me a rough timescale for when things got better for you with eating for example how many months post treatment. Has your saliva came back as that is one of the main issues for him. Think he could eat easier if he had saliva. This has been quite a journey for us both but things are much better than they were.