Wishing everyone a merry christmas and better health for 2006.Paul my husband has now completed his treatment for NPC.It has been a rough 7 weeks with 4 ,4day chemo sessions and daily Radiotherapy for 7 weeks.He was very ill during last chemo session and remained in the Beatson for 3 weeks while they gave him blood transfusions ,anti biotics and put in a gastronomy tube.Paul is now home and so weak and traumatized.His poor face and neck is in a terrible state and his mouth and throat full of ulcers combined with the dryness and mucous.I would like to thank the members on the forum for their tips on products and coping mechanisms.It is helping me to make things easier for his hopeful recovery.I know we have to wait for 3/4 months to find out if his treatment has been successful but i am just focussing on his recovery at the moment.He is sleeping 24/7 and i cannot get him out of bed which is not the best thing for his circulation.His mood is so low and he is so terribly depressed but the doctor says this should lift in a few weeks.I have been using the Bicarbonate of soda and the oral balance products but i wish there was a better mouth cleaning tool than the sponge lolly pop stick things.Any advice there would be helpful.

Thanks for listening Bell.

Hello Bell,
Your husband Paul is lucky to have the love of a good woman behind him. This will help bring about a speedier recovery for him.
I finished 33 sessions of RT given over six and a half weeks just prior to last christmas,2004, for a neck cancer.(I'd previously undergone a radical neck dissection to remove a tumour,large one,and all my rhs neck lymph nodes). It didn't make for a good Christmas at all.
This one is going to be fantastic for me and my family.
Next years will be fantastic for you and Paul.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS - The SRI type- My wife couldn't get me either out of bed or off the couch for months after my RT finished. It took nearly two months for them to "kick in" - but they did the job. They got me up and about and released me from my very extreme depressive state.I thought the cancer was killing me but it was my mind!
I took, and still take, citalopram.

Don't be afraid to use this type of medication -ask your GP for advice. The sooner Paul starts the better for his all important mental state.

Good luck to you both. Take care- there is light at the end of this tunnel!

Tony

Just wondering if your husband has tried using a baby toothbrush. I had trouble cleaning my mouth with a normal brush which is just too hard and aggressive. Then a nurse suggested a soft baby toothbrush and sensitive tooth paste.

Thank you to Pauline and Tony for their advice.My husband is having a bad time getting on hisfeet after his treatment.He is 4 weeks since last RT and his mouth his still breaking out in ulcers and to sore for a tooth brush yet.He is also still vomiting ,this has gotten worse and he is now on anti-biotics for a bacterial infection.We have been doing all the mouth care with Bicarbonate of Soda. Allupurinal and the biotene products etc etc .Apart from this infection now appearing i am still worried as to why he still suffers from sickness after getting on his feet for a little while.The doctors are also saying that the anti depressants will be a good idea once his vomiting is under control.Has anyone else suffered from prolonged nausea?.
Bell.

Hello again Bell.The combined effects of chemo and radiotherapy obviously make things much more difficult for your husband.
I went through intermittent spells of retching but nothing as bad as what you are describing. I had a lot of nausea when I was on some fairly high strength fentanyl (morphine) painkilling patches. I felt extremely nauseous and vomited a lot. I quickly reduced the dose and was able to balance the pain relief and lessen the feelings of nausea.
Things will get better (even though it may not feel it at the time).

best wishes - Tony