Hi Angielina, welcome here!

You might want to print this out for Larry.

Your husband Larry is a lucky man to have a wife like you as a caregiver; you care, and you pay attention to what the medicos tell you.

Larry was right to chose to take the Cisplatin along with the radiation. The Cisplatin prevents the cancer cells from dividing and it also sensitizes the cancer cells, making it easier for the radiation to kill them.

Here's the deal with cancer, the first time you attack it, you want to hit it with the most powerful weapons you can get your hands on, and the combination of Cisplatin and Radiation are that! Please don't let him quit taking the Cisplatin now, no matter how sick it makes him (and it is what is making him sick now, pretty soon the radiation will add to his misery) because you do not want a single one of those evil cancer cells to survive and cause you to have to repeat the treatments.

Here's a bit of good news, your Larry, having worked with his body all his adult life, has entered this fight for his life in great physical condition! This is one of the best things a person can have going for them in a fight like this (or any real fight, for that matter.)

Another bit of good news is that is is HPV related, I'm another, and having been on this board for more than a year and having seen what others report going through; I can see that having HPV is a relative blessing. We generally have easier side effects to deal with than those who do not have the HPV connection.

Not so good news is that Larry will lose his sense of taste very soon if it hasn't already gone bye-bye. The good news there is that it will return and is only temporary.

Here's something for you to pass on to Larry: Pay close attention to any sign of tinnitus, which is often referred to as "ringing in the ears." This is a sign that he IS losing some of his hearing, and this needs to be reported to his Medical Oncologist (the guy in charge of his chemo) who will make adjustments to preserve what's left of his hearing. I've lost 50 to 60 percent of mine.

The other thing to watch equally closely for is any change in the feelings he has in his toes or finger tips. It may be a "tingling" or it may be a numbness, but any change in his normal feeling in fingers, toes or feet should also be immediately reported to the MO. I've had some minor loss in my fingertips (I can't hold a single sheet of paper for long before it slips away because I can't feel it slipping). That's not as serious at my level of loss, compared to my hearing loss, but it could become serious if left unchecked.

Please keep us informed as you progress through this, we all care!

Best of luck to you both,

Bart