Hi everyone.

Just to introduce myself, I am a 26-year-old girl from London and was diagnosed with tongue cancer in July. I had surgery to remove the tumour in August and a flap created, which failed three weeks later and had to be removed. I also had a neck dissection on my left side. I finished chemotherapy and radiotherapy a month ago.

I know we have all had slightly different procedures and recover differently, but I would love to hear what other people's experiences of eating after radiotherapy have been. Before radiotherapy started, I had learnt how to use my new tongue and was eating normally, but everything seems so difficult now. I am managing soft foods but when I try a normal meal, it is such an effort. I haven't experienced a dry mouth, but I am guessing something has happened to my saliva which means it is harder for stuff to go down. I have a PEG tube and was told it usually comes out 3 months after radiotherapy, so I am guessing my consultant is expecting me to be eating normally by then.

How long did it take you to get back to eating normally? Are there any tricks you can recommend? Any comments welcome. Thanks so much.

Hello Susana

You may find some of the past discussions on eating and past discussions on PEG feeding helpful.

Best wishes
Vinod