Well first off let's hope the dr. Got all the cancer with the surgery. So hopefully that's not a reason. Usually the reason they treat it with surgery first is to get it all. Rads and chemo in this case is meant to clear up any microscopic cancer that may have been left over.

Fevers generally spike at night - not sure why perhaps because in the morning you are well rested then by the end of the day you're a little more run down - I would keep an eye on it - it could very well be related to the surgery, or just a bug of some sort. Don't let it go on for too long before making more noise with the dr. You know what's normal and what's not. If it is a mild infection - then you don't want it to progress.

Sorry your having trouble with finding a radiation guy. I was treated at PMH in Toronto it's a cancer hospital - basically one stop shopping - I'm sure there are people here who can recommend a good rads person in Portland. Im pretty sure we have members from around there! What I did when I found out I had this - I had a friend find out who the best surgeon was for this kind of cancer - another ENT guy recommended the dr. I ended up going with. The ENT guy himself was very good so for him to recommend the surgeon I knew he was good but once I had a name I researched it and went from there. So get a few names - then do some online research. Or vice versa. or ask around - look up the hospital you will be having treatments with, they usually have a staff list with information and accolades for their Drs.

My rads guy and I had a few communication issues - but we worked them out. He was not a person I would have chosen myself - my surgical oncologist would likely have recommended someone else but the guy at the local hospital who did my original biopsy - had put in a referral with him at PMH around the same time i got the referral to my SO from my family dr. so I went to him because he could get me in sooner! I met with them both the same day - and was told to call my RO 2 weeks post op, when I met with my SO for my post op path results they'd already consulted and agreed it should go for rads and chemo, so it worked out and everything was set up quickly. That was important to me - and frankly the hospital is supposedly one of the top 2 in Canada - top 5 in the world - if he's one of a handful of rads guys working there - then he's got to be good.

I did make sure he knew that I wanted this treated aggressively. And because of this when I had a baseline scan prior to my treatments - that came back with a highlighted node showing on the opposite side of my neck - he continued my treatments for the week (i'd just stared my radiation treatments that week) then rewrote my radiation plan to include my right side - and set it up so that despite being a week behind my right side got the same amount as the left. The node could have been anything, an infection or inflammation. I didn't have it biopsied but I did want it gone. I talked to my SO, RO and MO and they all agreed that if it was cancer it would be taken care of by the rads - plus they also said based on the location- it probably wasn't cancer - it was very small 3mm - my SO couldn't palpate it - my MO said she thought she felt it a week or 2 later but it was gone when I last saw her. So my advice - always ask about your results. I asked the morning after my second rads treatment - what my scan results were - the rads guy said - if there was anything to note I would have told you - I don't subscribe to that train of though - after he sent his resident off to take look we had a bit of a go about over my chest results, (which were fine) - then I asked him about e head and neck results and he said it was a baseline scan - ok? I accepted this went home then I called my contact nurse - with some more questions - she called the rads guy he said he wanted to see me after treatment the next morning. Thats when i found out about the node - and that he was rewriting my plan. So my asking about the results forced him to take a closer look. If I had not asked him the node might have gone un noticed.

I guess I'm just trying to say that no matter how good they are - no matter how nice they seem Drs. Are human, and have a lot on their plates you need to be responsible for your care - and knowledge is power.

I'm not sure if the hospital you will be attending is a ccc but I would say try to go to one if you can they have a team approach, and work - for the most part - together.

Remember to stop any anti oxidants 2 weeks prior to treatment - see a dentist about flouride trays - and to see if you need any teeth removed - good luck.






I would say give yourself a little time to heal. But don't wait too long. I had started rads 6 weeks exactly post op.