13 Days Post Radiation - what to expect?

Hi Gina G!

Sorry you are feeling so frustrated! It's a long old journey we are on isn't it? First they took all my teeth out when I was awake, then 30 x Radiotherapies and 2 x Chemo which ended at the end of August. I've been PEG fed since July - (nothing to eat or drink through my mouth) It's SO BORING! I am due to have right neck dissection on 28th and theyre going to see if they can do anything to help me drink or eat. 

Yeah lots of Saliva to spit into a pot every day! Don't forget that everyone is different, but my surgeon who is going to do the deed on the 28th said the radiation has damaged all my saliva glands so I will have to put up with the phlegm / saliva stuff fo quite a while yet. One thing she did suggest was rinsing your mouth out with fizzy water. It may either be time or coincidence, but I have found this has helped a lot. It does feel weird to start with but persevere as it definitely gets rid of the manky coating in your mouth. Also use alcohol free mouthwash. I did try a nebuliser every day but got bored with the palarva of it! ) Typical impatient bloke!)

Take care and try to be patient ( not easy I know)

Steve x

Hi Gina. The sticky stuff will get better. It just takes time 

2 weeks is still very early. In a month you’ll be a different person. I never bothered with a nebuliser. I steamed over hot water a few times before I concluded  that it just wasn’t worth it. Drinking plenty will help thin the mucous. Fizzy diet drinks can help too. The best mouthwash I found is BioXtra which I get on prescription 

Hi Steve, thank you so much for your helpful reply. I'm so sorry to hear of your predicament and hope your consultant can help you very soon with figuring out eating and drinking. All the best

Gina x

Hi Dani, thank you so much for your kind reply. Yeah, it's frustrating playing the waiting game especially when everything seems to be a count down that leads on to another countdown. Thank you so much for your kind advice. The swelling inside my mouth and left of throat is really getting to me, do you have any tips for that or will it just go down over the next month?

Thanks

Gina x

Also meant to say, all the best with your neck dissection on the 28th,think you are very positive about it all which is half the battle

Gina x

GinaG said:

The swelling inside my mouth and left of throat is really getting to me, do you have any tips for that or will it just go down over the next month?

It does take time. 

I have a friend who had a partial glossectomy and reconstruction. The surgeons always seem to make the new tongue too big but im assured everything shrinks in time. Have a word with your speech and language. 
Otherwise just keep on top of oral hygiene. Recovery really isn’t a sprint and it’s not linear either. Sometimes f few steps forwards just means a step back. Slowly slowly.