Hi, so I am 7 weeks post treatment and saw my oncologist this morning. Talked him through my progress to date - which was going reasonably well up until the end of Wk 5. That's when, for some reason, I decided to eat some chocolate covered peanuts. Why I did this, when I couldn't even taste them, I really don't know. Think I just got cocky given I was doing so well with other foods, different textures etc. Anyway, I had a super violent coughing fit, followed by hideous mucus/saliva problems which resulted in sickness for 3 nights (only at night). I guess, I injured my throat pretty badly and the last two weeks have felt hard. I'd come off painkillers in wk 2 (post treatment) but I'm feeling pain again now when swallowing - noticeable but not terrible. I've not gone back on pain meds. Also had a little bit of blood (light streaking) when coughing last night. Now that I'm home I'm processing all that was mentioned this morning... my oncologist says that everything I described is all fine and no cause for alarm but then he also said patients usually heal from radiotherapy within 6 weeks. In the scheme of things, my recovery is still pretty good but I feel like I've totally messed up given recovery was going so well until I sabotaged myself with those damn chocolate peanuts (doh!). Has anyone else had solid recovery and then a setback like this and how long did it take to get back on track...?
I wasn’t healed for months. Your oncologist seems to belong to the “You’ll be better two weeks after treatment” club. It’s a big club.
I was still on morphine at 12 weeks.
If you really have done damage then it’s just a setback.
Good idea to go back on pain meds. Why suffer? I’m sure a few weeks will have you back on the path to recovery.
he also said patients usually heal from radiotherapy within 6 weeks.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
