CANCER



Here I am again – nearly a year since radiotherapy on my throat for a T1 tumour and mild surgery on my bladder.

I’m now officially clear on both counts which, of course, is great news. Still no sign of saliva returning (Idon’t think it ever will) I’ll just have to learn to live with it.

I do have one problem though for which I cannot get a straight answer for from the medicos. Up until about two months ago my ability to taste was steadily returning – V8 juice was super and so refreshing and cleansing. Well, now I can’t taste it nor can I taste much at all. I always understood that taste would return in due course – don’t misunderstand me I know that I still have at least a year ahead of me , at least, in restorative terms – I just did not expect to go backwards tatstewise!

I would appreciate any advice that you may have.

Thanks – John G.

Hello johngee

Do a Keyword Search for 'taste' using the "Find" drop down menu. You will come across many posts, some from Pauline, describing the ups and downs of taste and what foods seems to taste better.

Perhaps someone should distill all the experiences described and post them under the heading 'TASTE' .

Best wishes
Vinod

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr Vinod K Joshi,

Saliva does return, but it's not like before and varies from day to day and time of day dependant on fluid already taken in. It also varies person to person. Some taste does return, but for me so far it's never been quite as it was. Yet it is better than at times past than I ever imagined it might be again, when I felt so despaired by not only grim almost poisonous tastes, but almost worse the texture problems of glueiness and cardboard and chlorophyll like elements in foods

My taste was much beter after 20 months rather than a year and is even better now 2 and half years after rads. Still it's nothing like before, but I'm truly grateful for the improvement there has been.

The worst aspect is that whilst food tastes do individually improve after time the improvement is not so great that you think that was wonderful. For me it's very I could take it or leave it eating experience with many foods. I get so thrilled when I find something that is good.

A family roast beef meal I had Sunday was cooked for me by others and whilst I ate it all ( although mine was half the size of others veg and my very small piece of meat about 3 inches by two a choking struggle). I would have been just as happy with a few biscuits or a small omelette, but can at last share a meal with others and make a passable attempt at appearing to eat what they eat around the table. I prefer buffets now when socialising for actaully finding something I really enjoy.

And yes some weeks are better taste wise than others. Zinc tablets are worth a try and after a week or two I've found taste does pick up again if everything has gone off again.

On the Acor listserv Head and Neck Cancer site Barry once mentioned his tastebuds still improving some 6 or 7 years on, one day after he tried a bag of salt and vinegar crisps which seemed to stimulate the buds in some new way. So there is always hope with this.