Hello Caztom1968, 

I am so sorry to hear your dad is having difficulties eating or drinking following radiotherapy. I hope you will hear from some of our members here who have had this kind of treatment and suffered similar effects. A couple of names spring to my mind [@Anchor1707]‍  and [@RadioactiveRaz]‍  would be great people for you to chat to just to name a few and we have a very active thread on our forum on radiotherapy for throat cancer which you can find here. Feel free to respond on that thread if you wish and post your experience and I am sure you will get some good advice from some of our members who have had radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer. 

We also have some information on our website on this page on laryngeal cancer which may be of interest to you. Find out more about radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer here and on the possible side effects.

I hope this helps and that we'll see you chatting soon here with some of our many members who have been in a similar situation before. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Caztom,

Am sorry to hear of your dads symptoms and he is a memeber of our club that no one wants to be in.
So my name is Ian (anchor1707 as mentioned by Moderator Lucie) and I thought I would respond to try and help and its does not sound like you feel you have had positive interation with consultant.

I was diagnosed with throat cancer last June and am now in recovery phaase after treatment stopped last November. I dodnt have chemo but had 6 weeks of radiotherapy.
I am going into week 17 post treatment and I am still struggling with appetite and eating and its a fairly normal side effect we all have although as we are all different, the length of recovery time varies from patient to patient. I had to go back to my support team this week and I have been put on an action plan to try and re train my body to eat again as ive lost so much weight and was told body in starvation mode. I didint have PEG fitted, was on supplement drinks but even recently was not taking enough of them so back to supprt team to try and break this loop.
This is not to alarm you, but to explain that recovery from 6 weeks radiotherapy is much more of a challenge than the actual treatment itself. Fatigiue is another major side effect among others that hit us but appetite and taste budds its the one you wil find the most common that all of us who have been through sich treatment raise as their most common challenge to overcome.
Some taste may never be the same again and having to drink plenty with each meal may just be a normality that has to be adjusted to, bu Im sure through time,experimentation and support your dad should be able to have some form of eating function again.
My neck is still quite swollen and I should tell you that after a meeting with my consultant on 5th March, I was given good news that I had responded well to treatment and cancer has gone. I'll get regular check ups but although this is one of the most difficullt of cancers to treat along with the most challenging lingering side effects, it is also the one with the highest chance of cure and success rates are very high so do hang on to the light at the end of the tunnel as it does exist.
Your dad will have a PET/CT scan around 6 months after treatment stopped as its too early just now as neck swelling etc has to have time to settle after radiotherpy

So there is plenty of hope although may not seem so right now and eating can take a little while to get some normality. Some quicker than others but im 4 and half months post treeatment and still having eating issues. I just need to accept its a time thing and will get better and find its own level of what I can and cannot eat.
Drinking I would ask if it were possible to try and drink as much water as possible if he can. This has been my mantra and drink, then drink again then drink some more. body can go for a while without food but not water. He has to be hydrated and also drinking, even small amounts often, also uses his throat muscles which then aids recovery.

Rather than rample on I have written a blog since the get go and its warts and all log of my journey and its helped quite a few people so I would ask you to have a read and I have posted the link below..It has just been update to include details of me having further recovery plan put in place this week 4 and half months post treatment.
There is also quite a detailed section on many tips picked up along the way including those from others and there is also a link to another blog from radioactive raz.
You are also welcome to friend request and I'm more than happy to help on an ongoing basis if you would like.
I also started a thread and like Lucie mentioned its an active thread with many contributiuons from others in same boat and its been really helpful to many of us pulling together to help and suppport one another so please feel free to join us on there and contribute and keep us posted on progress.
It's on here under Living with cancer and titled Radiotherapy for Throat cancer.

Please keep in touch with progress and I wish your dad a speedy recovery and please let me know if I can help in anyway at all.

radiotherapythroat.home.blog

kind regards
Ian

Hi caztoi am 8 months post radiotherapy for tonsil cancer 7 weeks radiotherapy n 2 chemotherapy all I can say is everyone is different I had s nasal feeding tube peg was never offered to me time is s great help do u have access to the Macmillan nurses I found them very good 

o havecs blig www.radiosctiveraz.wordpress.com might be worth a read 

haven comevsvross anyoneso can’t really help

keep inntouch

hazel