Another stupid question

Hi Matt

No Questions are stupid - thats what we are all here for - to help each other out.

 I'm 9 months post treatment and still have issues with no saliva especially when I wake up in the morning. Fizzy water helps a lot.

I did get an issue when swallowing initially  - I would drink tomato soup at work and it would come out of my nose. People thought I was having a nose bleed! This seems to have sorted itself out now. I think it was partly due to the fact I had a stricture due to the RT which restricted my swallowing.

I didn't have an issue with the morphine as I was putting it through my PEG tube. If you need it then keep taking the morphine. I think the ulcers are maybe due to the dry mouth. Keep using a no alcohol mouthwash regularly like listerine. 

My diet consists of Weetabix and milk in the morning, Home made soup for lunch at work, and whatever my wife makes for dinner - but slighty liquidised.(and a glass of Baileys in the evening or two) 

At least I don't have to put feed through my PEG tube any more! Not sure if I can manage noodles or pasta yet. (still waiting for an appointment for new teeth as they took them all out before the radio therapy started!)

Good luck Matt - Keep going - You are doing OK!

Cheers

Steve

Chemo Chaos said:

When swallowing (especially in the morning when my mouth is arid) I get water squirting up my nose (specialist didn't seem worried)  "is this normal?"

Yes. I was the same. It’s because your uvula (the dangly bit at the back of your throat) has been largely annihilated by RT. Mine is but a stump. One of its functions is to close off the back of the nose when you swallow. That and the fact that your throat muscles are weak and damaged. Are you doing your swallow exercises? That will really help  I still do mine at four years  

As for Analgesics, we are all different and if you still need morphine I wouldn’t worry about it  

Best foot forward  you’re doing really well 

Hi Matt,

I finished treatment ( radiotherapy and chemotherapy) for tonsil cancer just over a year ago and was feeding through a PEG until four months ago. At first liquids always squirted out of my nose, it got better after my throat dilatation. I’ve had two more dilatations since and swallowing is a lot easier now. I still get pain like soreness or tingling in my tongue though.

Also at times I’ve had very painful lesions and ulcers on my tongue and took morphine as long as I needed then stopped and just paracetamol when necessary. 
I eat weetabix and milk until I get bored of the taste and then try a smoothie, a really thin sandwich sometimes, pancakes are nice too with loads of syrup on. For dinner it’s often pasta with plenty of sauce and everything chopped pretty small.

Sounds like you’re doing really good - I found it does just take a long time for things to settle down and sort themselves out.

best wishes,

Laura.

Hi Matt we all recover at different paces. Arid mouth is a great description  try bioxtra mouthwash its p h neutral and helix acupuncture you’ll need more than one session. Chew sugar free gum that helps stimulate our saliva glands. It’s early days I’m almost 5 years post and still try tiny import. May I say well done on Bailey took me over 4 years and tasted like diesel. You’ll get there. Soda water was and still us my go to drink the fizzy helps freshen our mouths 

Hazel