Dry mouth

Since my diagnosis of salivary gland cancer, I have learned much about the salivary glands. For those of you who like details my cancer is in the left submandibular salivary gland. When the surgeons performed the neck dissection, the incision started behind my left ear which exposed the left carotid salivary gland. Most cases of salivary gland cancer occur with the carotid gland and not in in the submandibular gland. 

All of us have experienced some degree of dry mouth. Most often when we are anxious or worried about something, our mouths get dry. Some like me breathe primarily through their mouths while sleeping, so we wake up in the middle of the night with a dry mouth. 

I can recall being nervous about something—an exam, a confrontation with a loved one or friend or an annual job review. The anxiety made my mouth dry and very uncomfortable.

I have dry mouth day and night now, but it is not caused by anxiety or nervousness. One of the side effects of the radiation treatments is dry mouth. I am not anxious or nervous about these treatments. Certainly, I don’t look forward to them with the bite block stuffed into my mouth making my mouth quiver and the rubber mask stretched so tight around my face and shoulders making my jaw bones ache. But I have complete peace about them, so my dry mouth is not caused by anxiety but by the treatments. I have confidence in my Lord who is with me in the quietness during the treatment. Thank you Lord that you promised that we don’t have to ask you to be with us because you are already with us in every situation at all times. 

Today I will have my 12th treatment. I have completed one third of the treatments—11 of 33.