I thought I had escaped the forewarned symptoms of radiation.

However a month post-treatment, it showed up in the middle of the night in the form of a burning, bitter taste coating my entire mouth and throat.

No amount of teeth brushing could remove the bitterness, but I tried. I hysterically swished and gargled mouth wash. I sucked on a popsicle. I threw handfuls of wintergreen icebreakers in my mouth to suck on.

The metallic taste in my mouth felt like my mouth was pooling with blood. Or maybe as if I were eating aluminum foil.

Nothing could eradicate it. And it has not gone away, not entirely, since.

It shows up worst in the mornings. I leave my toothbrush in my mouth while getting ready for the day, sometimes for 15-20 minutes, letting my mouth soak in all the minty flavor it can.

I avoid acidic foods and drinks that trigger this sensation. Apple cider. Oranges. Berries. It has ruined coffee for me. If I have a sip, it instantly brings back the taste I try desperately to get rid of each day.

Eating and drinking tasty things, along with plenty of breath sprays, dry mouth tablets, and strong gum, is my only way to temporarily escape this vile flavor.

It shows up in my dreams, too. On nights when the taste is pungent, I have nightmares of vomiting up my insides. Thick, brown, bloody bile.

Now that I am used to it, this foul, overbearing taste has faded into the background of my days. Gum, water, constant teeth-brushing, and some nightmares. I suppose if this is the price I need to pay for a cancer-free body, I’ll accept it.