Cancer Support

After radiation ended my throat was so swollen that it was hard to talk and I used a lot of warm rinses and hot teas.

The more I tried to talk, the more strain I put on my throat, the more pain I caused. I got through that stage and talking got easier and the constant knot in my throat felt smaller. The knot and the phlegm didn't totally go away either. The phlegm can still build up and the knot comes back - everything gets aggravated. So I go back to warm rinses and hot drinks (and nasal sprays) to loosen it all up again.

The recovery can be the worst part of it all. The after, when treatment is over but the symptoms get worse. Your body is achieving a new normal and that takes time. And it blows - it really, really blows.

Take a small bite of soft food, and drink something very warm behind it - coffee or tea. I did that. Take a bite, drink. Take a bite, drink.

Throat sprays to numb and ease the way before meals and after? And practice swallowing. I don't care how silly it sounds. Every now and then, just swallow. Do it a few times a day. Use throat spray if you have to, but swallow.

The thing is, if something about your new normal doesn't feel normal - tell your doctor. You can hurt your healing process from coughing - the strain of it. Doc needs to help you find ways to reduce the coughing while still getting that phlegm up and out. That phlegm can actually help coat your throat to reduce strain, but it can also be so thick it becomes the problem.