Base Tongue cancer taking its toll…..

Hi and welcome to our little Community

You've reached the stage when it's impossible to eat anything. I was tube fed for eight weeks and most of that time the only thing I swallowed was my exercises.

Fizzy spring water, diet ginger ale ,diet coke all helped a little but it was a case of just putting my head down and plodding on.

Could you perhaps take a few minutes to put a brief entry into your profile. It helps so much down the line for people to give you a proper answer without tracking back through your previous posts. 

Hi

I had Chemoradio for Tonsil cancer HPV16 plus.... finished June 2023.... taste does improve but it takes time, one of the first things for me to taste again was alcohol free Guinness..and it also put in a few calories.... tough treatment... Keep the forum updated with your progress...

Take care and best of luck 

Peter 

Hi Lex

It's totally understandable that you feel low, it is the hardest thing I ever encountered. There is no magic bullet just tenacity, the belief (& knowledge) that things will improve (& they will improve although some days it feels that what you are enduring is relentless) 

So don't be to hard on yourself, know things will get better & that everyone here has got your back. YOU CAN DO THIS!

As for the taste & eating thing, just keep trying different food & drink & keep retrying. Because it didn't work today won't mean it won't work tomorrow & vis versa. Just use your peg as much as possible. If you can take as many calories as you can.

Take care of you xxx

nitty gritty time.. see about getting a pump for overnight feeds before things get any worse, then you can concentrate on drinking whatever you can and doing your mouth/jaw exercises..

Beau Chapeau said:

see about getting a pump for overnight feeds

I'll second that. It's so easy and you can forget about having to feed through the day and concentrate on being human

LexBertDol1 x said:

Can any of you warriors suggest anything that worked for you please? I’ve tried so much just waiting for the golden nugget.

NHS advice

Taste Changes - Advice for head & neck cancer patients A4

I wish I realised then what I know now.. 

Oh Loz........that's why we are all here to tell the newbies how it really is. I'm not very good at the TLC bit, I just tell it like it is.( There are lots of others who hold hands better than me....Hazel, for a start ). I sometimes get upbraided for it but those of us who hang around....like you.... have a job to do

Amen to that.. 

I received some priceless advice that guided me on my journey, and I'm happy to pay it back whenever I can.  

1. Hi sadly there’s no golden nugget I found fizzy soda water helped a little along with flat Diet Coke. I yearned to quench my thirst if I am honest it too a long long time for that to happen.  Use the feedingbtube head down and aim for recovery I slept most of firstb2 weeks. As younsay our cancers respond well but treatment can take its toll. 
   Sorry I’m late to reply but have been at allotment for 8 hours today as yiu see life does go on. I’m 7 years post chemo radio and living a great life 
2. calories are vital alongside hydration 

hugs Hazel x