Mare,

I am going through the same thing with my Dad. He has stage III-IV oral cancer. He has a tumor in the cheek of his mouth (his second tumor, the first was removed in Feb.) and he has some diseased tissue in his neck and one lymphnode on the oppisite side is diseased. He started chemo last tues. and it is rough. When he had the first tumor, he took radiation and he had several of the side effects you described. His face did bust open and drain. He also had and still has pieces of tissue that comes loose on the inside of his mouth. His biggest problem now is being very anxious and nervous. Also it takes him so long to eat such a small amount that he stays hungry all the time. It is very hard for him to chew and swallow. He is going in the morning to check on a feeding tube. I don't know about you but sometimes I feel very hopeful and positive but at other times I feel hopeless! I just keep thinking that he has only had one chemo treatment and he has a long way to go! This forum makes me feel alot better and more positive!

Good Luck!!
Kacy