Al, I know you are at the point where this is beginning to get pretty hard. You are starting to get hit with the horrible side effects. I know how bad this feels, I went thru too.

Focus on what is within your control.... your intake. Losing weight is NOT a good thing during treatments. Even if you have a couple extra pounds to lose, this is not a good way to lose them. By dropping significant amounts of weight you are also losing muscle. Fifteen pounds in 3 weeks also says to me you are not taking in enough daily. PLEASE!!!! turn this around right away and take in more calories. Make it a goal to hit at least 2500 calories every single day. If you were doing 2500 calories every day and still lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks then you need to take in higher daily calories like 3000 or even 3500. I know it sounds like alot but when someone has cancer their metabolism burns up calories at a higher rate trying to kill the cancer and repair itself. Soon you will begin to get worn our easily and want to sleep more, this is another result from rads and also from not taking in enough calories. I nag everybody about this because I suffered greatly by becoming malnourished and dehydrated. This made everything so much more difficult than it should have been. It also earned me a few hospitalizations which I did NOT like, especially when they wheeled me right down to the radiation lab for treatments anyway. If you are struggling to get enough water in daily (48-64 oz) then talk to your doc and ask for a prescription to get extra hydration. After a couple bags of fluids you will feel so much better. Many patients make this a routine and get extra fluids every other day.

If you are using a PEG tube didnt you see a nutritionist or talk to your doctor about it? You should have been given formula that comes in cases from a medical supply company. You would get everything you need including syringes, drain sponges (fits around the feeding tube to absorb any leakage), and tape (ask for paper tape). Its also much cheaper than buying formula at the store or online. Plus patients usually get a pump so they can do feedings overnight while they sleep. You wake up feeling much better after taking in a few cans overnight. Just make sure you prop yourself up on extra pillows or somehow raise the head of your bed several inches so you are on an incline and not lying flat (can cause aspiration of the formula). If you did not get all of these things tell your nurse and doctors when you go to your next rad appointment.

To be honest, this is not easy but you can get thru it. Pay more attention to your intake and you will feel much better. Try your very best to take in more formula every day. Without upping your calories and keeping them at a higher rate you will have a harder time of this. Rads are cumulative too. This mean everything will get more difficult as treatments continue. The very worst of it is the first 2-3 weeks after you finish rads. Radiation continues to work even though the treatments have ended. The only way to make it easier is to turn your intake around and get more. I almost forgot... if you are in pain make sure to relay this to your medical team too. Often rads can turn into a very painful experience. I was on some pretty strong pain meds when I went thru it. Dont wait until it gets really bad before you say something. It has been proven being in pain does not help patients at all in fact its harmful to patients, making everything so much harder on them.

I know its rough and I feel so bad for what you are going thru. It will get better but unfortunately this is all part of the process to eliminate the cancer. Hang in there!!!