Hi Beth,

Welcome to the forum, although I am sorry that you need to join this circle of friends.

I am from Ontario, too. My husband was treated at Princess Margaret Hospital and I can confidently say that they are the best that you can find in the province.

Do you have any idea how much radiation you will be receiving? The side effects you will have depend very much on the amount of radiation you will receive. My husband had 70 grays which, on occasions, I was told, was the lifetime maximum to one area. Subsequently, he received 20 grays over five days in two other treatments. So he really had 110 grays in all. Ask your RO or your case manager nurse when you see them.

Have you had a dental exam at your hospital and got fluoride trays made? This should be done prior to radiation treatment and you should use the trays religiously all through and after the treatment. If you take good care of your teeth the chances of getting loose teeth will be minimized. It is true that you will get tired during your radiation treatment and on the weeks after, so plan to have someone take you to treatments and home. Take good care of the skin on the irradiated areas. At PMH we were advised to use unscented Lubriderm which you can get really cheaply at Costco. We have also found Glaxo Base (available from Shoppers) to be really helpful. But make sure you don't put cream before the treatment as it will cause the skin to burn (think frying eggs in butter). But bring the cream with you and put it on in the washroom/car when you comhe out of the treatment room.

As you have probably read, different people react to radiation in different ways. When John was at the hospital getting his chemo, he met another patient who was eating all through radiation treatment, including the Christmas turkey though he did complain that it tasted like straw. I have also met other patients who attended the post-treatment workshops at the hospital who were eating eight or nine weeks after treatment.

Whatever questions you have for your doctors, make a list of them for every time you see them, including the weekly update sessions so you don't forget to ask.

If you have other questions about radiation treatments, please feel free to come back and ask. There are some really knowledgeable members on the forum and they are very helpful.

Please keep us posted.