Recovery

Six months

Retired

Started taper at 12 weeks

Other issues: steps back as well as forwards and having unrealistic expectations. Finding the right regime for sleeping with a dry mouth ( xylimelts and water to sip which I could do in my sleep. Radiation fatigue for a year intermittently hitting me like a sledgehammer out of nowhere. 

Thank you, good to know, and hope all is good with you now or as good as can be.

Good morning Flowerchild, my husband finished his treatment NewYears Eve 2024,from T4N3M0 bottom of tongue throat cancer. Swallowing solids was a problem for another 12wks or so after ,he mostly got by on soft food,gradually eating solids got better. He was healthy enough to go back to work by May. His line of work involves a lot of driving and fatigue was still there on a daily base till than. Once he finished treatment he was coping well with just paracetamol. Fasten forward 21mths, dry mouth and lack of saliva is part of daily life. Caughing and sneezing while eating seems part of the "new normal" too now. All the best for your journey fellow wife Mel x

Thank you Mel for the info. Good to hear he is doing well now.

Mandy

Hi I’m 8 years post 35 radiotherapy and 2 chemo. 
oncologist says he was looking cure me but also apologised for taking up to a year out of my life to give me many more. He did both.  
eating wise ng tube out week 3 recovery I could eat soft foods but took 6 month to get any pleasure 

dry mouth still with me at night to but manageable with xyimelts and water. day time  orbit sugar free  gum 

was retired. started comp g iff painkillers around 12 weeks into recovery skis withdrawn around 5 weeks to come off everything. 
radiation fatigue came at random times knocks you for 6. Recovery can be a marathon not a sprint. 
Saying all  that I’m sat in southern Spain reading my book in the shade just done a 40 km bike ride. All good. 
I can’t tolerate spicy food or alcohol but can eat chocolate. 

best wishes Hazel x

Thanks Hazel, good to hear you are cycling and have recovered well, I am a runner and hope to get back to it at some point. This was going to be the year for my first ultra but life had other plans!

Some good news today from the breast clinic, the lump the CT scan showed is nothing and so I have the all clear there. Most likely a small lymph node. 

Mandy

You’re welcome. I’ve a friend who is 5 years post treatment and his cancer spread  but thanks to immunotherapy he’s doing ultra marathons . He even competed  in this years brutal winter sprint race. 
Just be kind to yourself don’t aim too high in first year. My last cycle ride prior to treatment was 100 km but my first cycle ride post treatment was 8 km and I appreciated each km.  Take ur gently one step at a time one day at a time. 

Hazel xx

Wow that's amazing  

Hi

I have been recovering for past 10 or so weeks and it’s been better than I expected. I’m eating normally and have been for last few weeks with a few exceptions. Nothing spicy and things like crisps get stuck in my teeth. I am able to eat pizza, sandwiches, meat etc and taste improves week by week. 
I have worked through out treatment bar taking a couple weeks annual leave when I struggled with chemo. I’m totally fine at work now though and continue to work on our home renovations on my days off. It does take it out of me more than usual though. 
I did stop all my pain meds 3 weeks ago and had the worst withdrawals. For me this was the worst I’ve been. I’m now just on a very low dose of Oramorph. Not for pain but to ween off it. I’ll be off completely in another 2 weeks. 
For me the Cisplatin was really bad. Once I switched to Carboplatin I was much better. 

Wow Jacko seems like you are doing really well and managing to work too. Do you do a physical job if you dont mind me asking?

I am wondering how I will find the tiredness and affects of chemo.

Also it seems many have a problem with Cisplatin?

Mandy