Hi everyone
Just wante to share my good news - especially as I usually am moaning when i write here! I had my nasal tube removed on Wednesday after having it in for 9 weeks! I feel so much better and am doing really well with eating now. My mouth has recovered amazingly in the past two weeks and my taste has returned to a great extent - though sadly wine still tastes horrible! I am still hampered by my trismus problems and have to cut anything solid into tiny pieces but I am trying new things everday and watching the calories to make sure I get enough. It's great to be able to eat the formally "naughty" things - I found some delicious cappucino cup cakes in Waitrose which are 347 calories each. And then they go now more easily if cream is added!
I hope this may encourage anyone who is in the position I was in a few weeks ago when I thought I'd never enjoy eating again. Thanks to those of you who have written to encourage me in one way or other.
Maggie

Hello Maggie

That's great news. You may find some of the advice on trismus of help. Have a good weekend and may each tomorrow be a better day.

Best wishes
Vinod

Such good news for you Maggie - you are doing really well if you can taste food so early after radiotherapy treatment. It is a relief to get off tube feeding and go back to table foods isn't it.

Now I find the biggest bugbear with food is still the texture of certain things. Nothing is as before. Also acidic/vinegary items can suddenly turn on you and create mouth ulcers so its worth watching how that affects your mouth.

Even now (my radiotherapy was Sept/Oct 2002)the only alcohol I find vaguely palatable is something like champagne or asti spumante. Red wine is a total no no whatever the strength - its just tastes pure tannin and makes my tongue kind of contract. All other wines including whites just burn my tongue.

I think the tongue tastebud layer remains thin for a long time after rads and is sensitive to alcohol. Fortunatly I can live happily without alcohol. But just on occasion it is nice to share a glass at a toast etc.

You could try elderflower lemonade which looks like wine froma social point of view and tastes quite good. Coca cola is also ok to get food down.

For a boozy product you could try Baileys Cream Liqueras that is slightly different as it is creamy. Best to buy them as the little miniature. A pack of 4 minis lasts me about a year so you can see I'm not living dangerously!
But alcohol intake after this treatment is not a good idea really, however the odd one wont hurt any of us I'm sure.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PaulineT,

Maggie I recall some time ago we chatted about hair loss and wonder how this has been for you?