Starting week 6 of chemo-radio - needing some positive thoughts

Hi Steve all the things you have said, are to be expected where you are now in your treatment. Don't hesitate to ask for more pain relief, being in pain only makes it worse than it needs to be. Have you tried overnight feeding, that's what many do. You will feel very tired now, don't worry about trying to do things, just concentrate on getting through your treatment, 10 days will go quickly, then you will be on your recovery, back to health. We all have a wobble from time to time, it's only to be expected. Any questions just ask away, someone will help if they can. 

Regrds Ray. 

HimSteve What  you’re feeling is normal. If I may suggest it might be time to increase yiur pain meds talk over with yiur team by week 6 I was already in 8 x30 mg co codomol and up to 40 mil of oramorph every day I too was totally reliant on ng tube for food and medication I put most of my water through it as well I could slowly sip a little water or flat Diet Coke. Our other half’s do near the brunt of it all but if roles were reversed am sure we would do the same. 
I also had a badly burnt neck for treatment I was wrapped round neck In hospital grade cling film them had a polymem bandage to wear for the last 2 weeks and the first few of recovery. My neck’s perfectly fine now. After treatment finishes remember tge next few weeks are still challenging. In one way we glad to be out if treatment but we miss the security of being seen every day. Just hunker down you can do,it. 
Wobbles are perfectly a cetabke we’ve all done them mine we’re often in kitchen floor at 0300.

hugs Hazel x

Hello Steve I am 6 weeks post treatment and felt exactly the same as you at your stage of treatment . I felt things were never going to get better and I also felt the whole waking period was taken  up with feeding , treating skin, medication etc . Now I am in a much better place feel stronger and hopeful for the future . You will get there don’t worry . Alan 

"Surgery was the easy part wasn't it?" - words from my consultant at last clinic... he was right, rt was/is far more brutal and takes longer to overcome but does get better. I was the same in terms of focus and fatigue but it does all come back, albeit give yourself time to rest. I still drop off now and I am 3.5 months after rt finished! 

Gene you are 4 weeks in front of me do you have any taste back yet , everything still tastes horrible to me . Alan 

Hi Alan - it is "improving" rather than back I would say. Many things now taste as I smell and remember then but there can be bitterness in that too, e.g. even a mild seasoning can be too much. I can chew a bit now but the mechanics of moving food around remain challenging/manual!

Hi 

Just wanted to say comparing your side effects to my husband in his 6th week you sound very similar. It is when everything just leapt off the chart, pain, disorientation,  phlegm.  He decided to ask for morphine and now takes upto 40ml over the the day along with liquid paracetamol.  The pain doesn't disappear but it is manageable. 

Just go with it and rest, let your body do its thing, don't worry about anything else. You're nearly at the end of RT then you can collapse and rest.    Us wives are all about keeping everything together so you can rest and get through this..

She will just be focused on you and how you are. 

You've got this..  

Another wife holding it all together. Xx 

Gail

Gail on a lighter note I have been single for a long time and this is the first time I wished I had a wife .