I don't know why, but I just wanted to post this today.

My mum and dad are amazing people and have coped with everything that has been thrown at them through this terrible year.

It's mum's last RT today and she gets to bring her mask home !

She is quite poorly with burns and weeping sores on her neck, feeding through a tube still, and very weak and frail ........... but she is still here and she has finished her RT - God bless her.

I understand it gets worse before it gets better, but realistically, how long before she sees a significant improvement ????

Hi Winnie
it was about 8 to 10 weeks for myself No peg to feel id started to recover

it all depends on the Rt site and ammount

your mums got the spirit and by the sound of her will recover quickly

They told me the Rt would continue working for up to 6 weeks after treatment Best wishes to you all
Regards
Dave and Sue

Hello Winnie, People of different ages mend quicker than others, the neck is radiation burns which eventually sloughs off as you wash the area and will clear up in a couple of weeks to a month if I remember correctly (2 years ago for me now. She must avoid getting this area sunburnt in the future - I now wear factor 50 on my neck in the sun!
I think maybe the hardest thing to get used to is the tiredness which last longer than you would expect, only now do I feel I am becoming more physically like my previous self, putting weight on, exercising etc but I still have difficulty with various foods like bread and chicken and flaky pastry and I felt like I was never going to get rid of the peg tube but the time will come, believe me. In the early days I was always coughing up thick mucous and occasionally being sick when taking the cartons of nutrition through my peg-tube and sleeping a lot and feeling like I had a life sentence but time does cure all (or most)in the end.
Actually I think the neck looks a lot worse than it feels, as I don't remember feeling too bad about that part, it's the thick throaty claggy feeling which is most disconcerting. As you can see i am struggling to remember how I felt at the time and the human psyche is designed to make you not dwell on the bad things in life - at least in my case (thank God!)
Although I did get sick of hearing people say 'things will get better, it's just time etc etc as when you are going through it you think 'it's all right for you to say pal' but it will come right in time.
Give my love to your Mum

Radiation still works for a further 2 weeks, but an element of healing does happen in that time. I'd say 6 to 8 weeks after treatment stops she might start to become more interested in things. Probably 4-6 months before feeling more the old self and regaining vitality.

Poor soul was told (after I had posted this) that she would have to go for another session, to make up for the one she missed when she was admitted to hospital with de-hydration.

My dad said he could have fallen through the floor when they told her to come back tomorrow.

Anyway, tomorrow has been and gone and now she has truly finished - they have given her the mask to bring home.

Of course the symptoms haven't improved any, but her spirits certainly have and I think that's sometimes half the battle.

I'm so pleased that they just won't have to do that journey to the hospital today - for the firs time in nearly 7 weeks. They both need a rest.

Well done to your mother, we all wish her a speedy recovery.

Kathy @ Tony

Hope your mum soons starts to feel a bit better. It's my son's last R/T tomorrow

Brilliant, to get through all that for both your Mum and for your Dad. Today is my last trip to the hospital for 30 days which was bad enough . Can anyone tell me how they manage to sleep with the claggy stuff. Bill only seems to sleep for about 20 minutes then wakes up choking. He is absolutely shattered.

Lets hope we all get to the other end quickly.

It does get better Winnie.In fact it get a lot better.Looking back on the trauma I now can't remember a lot about it but it takes time and patience.

Wishing your mum all the best

Robert

Well done to your mum Winnie!

For me, i ddn't start to notice improvements until about 10-12 weeks AFTER R/T. The skin sores got better very quickly, within about a week. But the sores in my mouth and throat were alot longer. & i couldn't stoop being sick which made things all the worse. The important thing for her is not to be too hard on herself and not be dissapointed if it takes time!

All the best,
Michelle