Radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for upper palette cancer

Hi Tomatoe12 what you are describing is normal for about now in your treatment, tell your team, they will give you something to ease the side effects. If you need to use your tube please use it, look on it as a part of getting you back to health. I used my RIG from 3 weeks in and was 100% reliant on it for about 10 weeks, Mine was a lifesaver for me. Any questions or worries, ask away someone will always help if they can.

Regards Ray.

Hi Tomatoes 

What you are experiencing is about par for the course. Don’t be frightened of using your feeding tube. What exactly are you scared if about it. If you tell us we might be able to allay your fears. 
It’s really important to keep your weight up as it helps you heal faster and better. The better you heal the quicker that feeding tube will come out. Your team won’t remove it till you have kept your weight steady after treatment. 
I was fed exclusively by NG tube from week 4. It saved my life and I made a quick and uneventful recovery 

My advice we would be to keep your mouth as clean as you can. You’ll have lots of stuff for that. Gelclair and Caphosol to protect and soothe, Diffkam and maybe Oxetecaine to help numb . Take your pain killers by the clock in front of the pain and tell the radiographers if something isn’t working. 
Don’t be frightened if using your tube if you can’t eat 

Youll get there 

Hello. It’s normal to feel anxious & scared. My advice would be to just take it day by day. Deal with getting through each day. Sleep/rest when you can. Take pain meds by the clock - stay ahead of the pain. I had a PEG feeding tube & used it from week 4. I linked up to a small pump & fed overnight. It was a lifesaver as I couldn’t eat by mouth. Think of the tube as your ally. It’s a temporary aid. I used mine for several weeks then weaned myself off. I then supplemented with Scandishakes until I could maintain my weight then had it removed. Macmillan offer a very useful counselling service which could help with the anxiety. 

Hi. Don’t fear the feeding tube. It really as others have said my best friend snd lifesaver. Don’t look too far in advance baby steps snd one day at a time. Before you know it you’ll ge on your last day. Thrn recovery you really need your strength for that. 
Hazel xx

Good evening Tomatoes12, what is wrong with your feeding tube they are normally a very good backup if swallowing becomes difficult without having my feeding tube fitted i would not be here, and was very much a lifesaver. If it has just been fitted it will take a few days to settle in but after that you should find it easy to use. You might find that by using the feeding tube the pain will not be so bad as you are not trying to swallow and will make life easier in the long run. All the best.

                                                                                       Chris