Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the response and offers of support I received on my last post regarding my mum. It’s been a really busy few weeks, op on the 12th July where 85% tongue was removed with free flap reconstruction using thigh as donation site. Full neck dissection with lymph nodes removed on both sides. One disaster of a RIG feeding tube, followed by displacement, hospitalisation and then replacement and now on day 4 of 37 radiation sessions!!
My mum is doing well, talking (although she is really hard to understand) but unable to take anything orally due to aspiration. However recently she has been producing a lot of saliva, then every morning and a few times during the day having really really thick/ sticky saliva or mucus. This chokes her and makes her retch to bring up. We then have to really ‘scoop’ it out of her mouth using foam swabs. And it is a lot!! It takes about 10 swabs and tissues to get it all out. She is already on carbocistine and uses a nebuliser to try and keep it thin. I am at a loss what else to do and I am so worried the radiotherapy side effects will just make it worse. If anyone has any tips or words of advice they would be grateful received 
Thanks! X
Hi Peggy. Yes her RT will make the situation worse. See if you can increase your mum's fluid intake via her feeding tube to around three litres a day. This will help dilute the mucous but I think in this case maybe it would be best to tackle her team for some sort of suction device? See what they say on Monday and make sure you get some sort of advice straight away?
Let us know how it goes and good luck
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
I hope they can sort things out for her. It must be a worry and it's great you can help out.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
