7 weeks post Treatment

Hi Elaine and welcome to the forum.

Pleased to read you're beginning to see improvement in your swallow.

It's still fairly early days as far as regaining taste goes.  Some people seem to find improvements in the first few weeks after treatment, for others it can take longer.  For me it was 4 months before I could taste anything (a carrot was the first thing) and it took considerably longer for other flavours to begin materialising, gradually improving as the months went on.  I wouldn't say my taste is back to where it was before treatment but it's come a long way!  Hopefully you will find some improvements sooner than that as the majority of people appear to.

I found the trick was to experiment with little bits of different food every day - usually stolen from someone elses plate or while I was cooking.  Don't be disheartened if something doesn't taste right, try again a week later.  I did also find that my taste could alter from day to day. 

Do be careful when eating as the mouth and tongue can remain tender for a long time.

Wishing you all the best in your continued recovery.

Linda x

Thank you Linda! I was hope full I would get it back for Christmas. I won’t give up hope then. I have been trying different foods but get very dishearten. Yes my mouth is very sore. Some days I think it’s better but then goes down hill. I’m still very tired all the time. 

many thanks 

Elaine 

Definitely don't give up hope Elaine. I completely understand how disheartening it is but you will slowly find improvements.

7 weeks is still very early days after treatment.  You will feel fatigue and that may last quite some time so my best advice is to try to pace yourself.  A little gentle exercise can work wonders but the watch word is gentle.

You'll have good days and not such good days but things will improve.  My team reckoned on 18 to 24 months but we all heal in our own time.

Linda x

Hi Elaine and welcome. Linda is right. We are all different and heal at different rates but we do get there. Sometimes it's two steps forward and one back. Sometimes something you could eat one day is hopeless the next. Have you still got Difflam and Gelclair for your mouth? They might help you feel more comfortable. As for taste mine was really hit and miss for months. This early on it was a case of ....if I can swallow it I ate it. 

Fizzy drinks can help refresh you as well, stuff like diet ginger ale or diet cola.

Keep going with your swallow and jaw exercises. It will get better

Best wishes

Hi Elaine. Welcome to the club none of us really wanted to join. I finished treatment 31 august 2018 and by that Christmas I could just about manage a very small plate of Christmas dinner. So don’t give up hope it’s really early days although you may not think it. I found it easier to thjnk nursey goid what ever I ate as a child. Jellies custards trifles. I could do toast with poached egg but only in cheap white bread not the crusts though ! It’s really baby steps domecdays 2 forward and 1 back. By 6 month it’s usually a good indicator of progress. We all get told after a few weeks you’ll be back on way to normal sadly very few of us are or were. I am now 3 years and still getting improvements. 
Try things if you can’t eat them leave alone for a few weeks then try again 

What you  are feeling is tiredness caused by radiation fatigue , It’s a tiredness that comes at you in waves ? I had it for quite a whike I could get by on 20 min power naps after about 9 month don’t fight the tiredness have a sleep, 

my blogs below has some tips snd links to other sites. Have you read the article by dr Peter Harvey ? It’s very good. 

https://cancercounsellinglondon.org.uk/about/after-the-treatment-finishes-then-what/

Unknown said:

I’m still very tired all the time. 

Your Brain Stem gets a low dose of radiation which is why we get inordinately tired. There a fancy name for it …. Well there would be but it does get better.