I just wanted to start a topic that focuses on radiation expiernces. I know I never thought at the beginning of the week I'd be fine and then the next day I couldn't talk with out being in severe pain.
What were your side effects? How long before they went away?

I also wouldn't mind some email buddies to talk to if anyone is up for that

The only side effect that I had was like a really bad sunburn. In time it went away.

My husband's first three weeks of radiation were uneventful. He was taking an anti-anxiety med an hour before Tx to help with the mask. So, he was tired from the start. By the 4th week, his mouth hurt, making swallowing painful. He had a PEG put in before Tx began and started using it in the 4th week. His skin was red like a bad sunburn, and had some hair loss on the back of his head (it grew back since). He had an open sore on his skin along his incision line. The remaining weeks, 5,6 and 7, were very tough. Increased mouth pain, increased fatigue, dry mouth, and thickened secretions persisted through the 4 weeks post radiation.

To handle the side effects, he was on gabapentin and Magic Mouthwash for mouth pain. My best to you as you get through this. You can do it!

Bill was working and fairly symptom free thru the third week. By Monday of the 4th week, he could not eat, was in pain and very tired all the time. Week 5 he contracted an infection and had to go into the hospital under strict quarantine..everyone had to mask before coming into his room because his blood counts were so low - he had no way to fight anything. Docs were never able to find where the infection came from but he recovered enough to finish his treatments the next week and actually by two weeks after treatment ended, he was off pain meds and eating by mouth.

So he had the worst time during treatment but recovered very quickly.

Just our experience. YMMV

My side effects were bad. The first 2 weeks were okay, and after that it went downhill. Sores in my mouth, difficulty swallowing and eating, everything tasted bad, loss of appetite, thickening of the saliva and then loss of saliva (which I have never gotten back), exhaustion, secretions in the throat that lasted long after the radiation ended. But, it does get better and you do heal. A year ago now I was in the middle or radiation, and I can't believe how good everything is now.

My side effects were pretty bad, too. At one point they had to stop radiation because my neck was so badly burnt. However, they gave me some cream, which helped, and I was able to complete my treatments. I never had too much trouble talking, but proper nutrition was also a problem. I ended up in the hospital after I had completed my treatments with an IV. That scared me enough that I started using my PEG more because I didn't want to have to go back to the hospital. Make sure you get enough nutrition and stay hydrated. At one time I felt so bad that I didn't even feel like getting dressed.

John, thank you for initiating this Topic. In February we had the very difficult decision on rads. Had ok margins from surgery, 1node contained, and Oncologists split advise on rads. One big missing piece was honest long term quality of life impacts. Dr's generally show worst case, everyone is different, yours probably won't be that bad. For a lot of folks this topic will really help. Thank you.

Every single person who goes thru this is going to have their own unique reactions to medications, treatments, etc. Some will sail right thru rads barely noticing anything more than being a bit fatigued. Others will struggle almost every day. One commonality I see in most patients is that 2 to 3 weeks after they finish radiation they finally begin to feel a little better. Nutrition and hydration are the key to having an easier time. I spent way too many days stuck in the hospital due to a lack of a caregiver helping me with my intake. I can only hope to spare others from that same fate by being a broken record about hydration and nutritional minimums every single day. It really will make a huge difference in how you feel.

John, by posting this topic here on the OCF forum, it has the potential to help hundreds of patients. It will remain here for years to come and show up in search engines all over the internet. This is why its so much better to have the responses noted on this thread than on a private email where no other patients can see it.

To be sure everyone's reaction to radiation is different. I completed my 7 weeks of radiation last May 27th. I'm doing very well now but it was NOT pleasant. You can read my blog (http://benscancerfight.blogspot.com) from about mid April until the end of May (plus a few weeks after) for a full play-by-play of my fun. But you WILL get through it. Good luck.

So far Im dealing with a dryer mouth, the inability to eat anything other boost shakes and drink anything other than water or aloe juice, my tongue has swollen quite a bit causing me to bite it and make gashes on the sides that I keep reopening.

And no my hair is falling out at the base of my head.

The hair thing is not fun particularly if your a girl! Had that happen to me. I lived with it through the summer ntil the regrowth was long enough that I could have extensions put in. Now my hair is my own but a short bob. Its cosmetic I know but it helps feel Nomal if you at least look normal. Dry mouth will likely stick around for a whil - I'm a year out and it's okay most times but long conversations. And night my mouth still dries up.

Keep drinking the boost. Hugs

You may also loose facial hair and the whiskers below my chin line never came back so I only have to shave half my face now. Only good thing about this Tx. lol The hair on the back of your neck will grow back over time.

How many rads have you had and what, if any, chemo are you getting and what frequency is it given to you.

Hah, if you're a boy, the hair/beard loss is a bit easier, but as Cheryl said, for us girls, it's a bit of a mind game. I lost a 3 inch wide path on the back of my neck from ear to ear. I had my hair short at the time, so I wore lots of scarves, and then let the rest of it grow out to cover. Today, one year after rads, I finally have little spikes of hair back in that area, but I have let the rest of my hair grow down to my shoulders so it's completely hidden. You find a way to work around all the new things, especially eating. GOOD LUCK.

I started last wednesday (5 visits from then to today) and my saliva is already getting thick, my ears have phases of ringing, my tongue feels like its been burnt by hot coffee and my throat is scratchy.

If your ears are ringing make sure you discuss this in detail with your MO. It is a very important side effect of the chemo. Your MO should change you over to another type usually carboplatin which wont have the same ear side effects. Do not get another dose of cisplatin, your hearing could have permanent damage.

[quote=davidcpa]You may also loose facial hair and the whiskers below my chin line never came back so I only have to shave half my face now. Only good thing about this Tx. lol The hair on the back of your neck will grow back over time.

How many rads have you had and what, if any, chemo are you getting and what frequency is it given to you. [/quote]
i hope i lose my facial hair. lol. i've never been a big fan of it. today i will have had 15 treatments and then i only have 15 more. i get treatments once a day 5 days a week.

Hey the hair loss on the face is great especially if you are a girl with a stash... ;o)

Actually, I never really had a stash but I just thought I'd share. My hair at the back was about an inch long about three months out. ;o)


Good luck. Keep up the boost and fluids.

Surprisingly, it is my Mustache that was not only unfazed but invigorated by the radiation. My beard follicles fell off with tne skin and I did not have to shave daily again until this year.
Prior to the cancer, I had shaved off my mustache because it was growing in solid gray. When it did grow back, the hairs were half white and half red/blond and it's a nice handlebar.
I do not miss not having to shave my neck, even now it just scarred skin with zero whiskers and none likely.

Congratulations John on being half way there. I had not found OCF my first time with Radiation so I was very unpleasantly surprised to discover that the first two weeks AFTER my TX had ended were the worst of the entire TX. I had thought that once the actual radiation stopped, it would get better, but it often seemed worse. Just extending my mental calendar would have helped me avoid disappointment.
charm

Hi John, my brother's radiation finished 6 months ago and we cannot believe where that time has gone. He found it quite tough. The next few weeks may be difficult for you, but you'll blink and it will be behind you. I think the hardest thing for Simon was the constipation that was caused by painkillers (Fentanyl). It was very distressing, so keep up the water and if you end up on painkillers, be proactive and prevent the REAL Big C ever happening!

Take note of Christine's recommendation on water - it made a huge difference to Simon - he tried to drink 3 litres a day, and I'm sure it was a big part of him coping with the treatment. Si also added lemon juice to the water. Best of luck to you.

John,

No chemo?

No chemo. My radiation is just sort of an insurance policy. At least that's what the surgeon said

I also had radiation only, no chemo. Yesterday was 4 weeks from my last day of RADS. The first 2 weeks I thought I had this thing in the bag but it hit me like a ton of bricks. Sores in my mouth, anything that came in contact with my tongue felt like a razor blade, loss of tastebuds except for chocolate, coffee and peanut butter. I lived off of oatmeal with calorie supplements and Chocolate ScandiShake that had 600 calories when mixed with whole milk. They were the only things I could get down. My saliva was so thick I couldn't even drink Ensure. My neck and lower mouth looked like one nasty sunburn and hurt like a 'rhymes with witch'! By this time it also hurt to swallow. I'll never forget the day I went in for treatment and burst into tears because I was in so much pain thinking I had to just endure this. Boy, did I feel silly when they told me I could take painkillers. I was not a happy camper in the least when I realized I was losing hair on the nape of my neck after growing it out for a whole year. I also lost my voice for 3-4 weeks which didn't really matter because it hurt so bad to talk anyway. I got a long weekend before my last week which they sprung on me, a "tongue boost" is how they referred to it. 4 weeks out and I'm finally really starting to taste again. I get sores in my mouth when I eat but they eventually go away in a few hours. But it's that "hurts so good" mentality because I was so hungry for so long, lost 25lbs and have only managed to gain 3 back so far. Anyway...that was just my experience. Everyone's different.

MissB

Also, wearing my fluoride trays (sans the fluoride) during treatment helped with the sores I was getting on the side of my tongue.

MissB

One thing I hear constantly but never explained in detail is the 3-4 weeks after.
Does it continue to get worse for 3-4 weeks after? Or are you at a stand still for 3-4 weeks before it starts healing? Or does it take 3-4 weeks from the last treatment to heal. I'm just so confused and would like to know what's coming.

Take a look at the above post from MissB, it tells what she went thru during the end of rads and the first couple weeks afterwards. This is what she experienced, everyone is different. It can take up to 2 full years to completely heal from radiation. Most patients are doing pretty good after 2 or 3 months post rads. Try not to worry about what could happen, focus on your nutrition and hydration. Bottom line is the better you do with your nutrition and hydration the easier everything will be for you.

You can't not worry about what might happen. No disrespect but that is ludicrous. I was in pain, constant pain for 3 months before my surgery, then I was in worse constant pain after my surgery, then when I healed from that everything went backwards and I'm in constant pain again. All I can think about is when I'll be able to talk again without being in pain from moving my tongue, when I'll be able to sing again, if I'll be able to sing again. This whole process has done nothing but taken my life away little by slow and I just want to hear other people's experiences so I can be motivated to get my life back.

Ok...I guess the way to say this is that what you are experiencing is completely normal, even the pissed off part. We have all been there and are telling you with much confidence that it will get worse before it gets better, but it does get better. You may very well get to a point where you cannot swallow for a bit so that could be tough without a PEG. On the other hand, Kevin had a PEG and hated it so forced himself to swallow through the pain. He would drink some Lortab, use his magic mouthwash and chug a couple of Ensures. And he drank water all day long in little sips. He drank at least 48 oz of water a day. I think it started to get better about 4 weeks out because I remember he ate Thanksgiving dinner, pie included. It was with drugs and didn't taste quite right, but he ate it. There were other times later that he had to go back to the Ensures for a bit.
I hope this helps a bit. It is just our experience, but I know of 2 other men whose wives I have become friends with that found sort of the same situation. That doesn't mean it fits everyone though.
Have you gotten checked for the yeast infection? It might be a pretty easy fix to part of your tongue issues, but you won't know if you don't get it swabbed.
Hang in there. Again, hope this helps a little.
Kathy

John - what are you taking for pain now? Aside from pills?
I have been where you are.

John Christine is right - no one can tell you for sure as you're an individual and everyone heals differently and has a different experience - knowing what's to come is kind of impossible there are any number of things that can go down that will effect your healing so worrying about it is pointless because it may never happen or you may experience something none of us have ever had - though that's unlikely considering the collection of experiences here. mind you being informed doesn't hurt...
I personally had it easy..( and despite this it was no picnic) I was bad the last two days of radiation and over the weekend prior to the end of treatment - my radiation ended on a Tuesday - I hibernated took my pills and got through the rest of the week... Then I started to feel better. Very slowly. At one point swallowing and the post nasal drip felt like acid hitting the back of my throat, I remember a couple of weeks out cringing because I knew what was coming when I swallowed and miraculously it didn't hurt.
From that point it was all steady improvement... Though I'm a year out and spicy food still causes trauma as does anything acidic - and tomatoes only now are becoming friendly - and i dont di carbonated anything - and let me repeat - for as bad as it was, i was lucky! People get thrush, have chronic pain, permanent taste damage, tongue necrosis, osteo necrosis! Trismus, swallowing defects etc... No one can tell you - and no one here can say, don't worry two weeks after you will be better - that could very well be a lie... You could still be feeling super crummy - its all about you, your immune system, how you heal, your nutrition, even your outlook. You know your body best... Drs. Don't tell you anything because they don't know either - they they can only give you the average, the plus to being here is that we're honest about it and can tell you what we've been through but you will write your own story.

Good luck - it will get better

During/after treatment my dentist gave me some type of topical numbing treatment to use before meals. This was a LIFESAVER - 100x better than the magic mouthwash. I would dab it on my ulcers/sore spots and it would stay numb for about 15 minutes. I will look up what is in it when I get home so I can share.

To give you a little hope... I am about 6 and a half months post radiation and chemo, and I am feeling great. I am drinking hot coffee and eating a bagel as we speak. I felt terrible for the first 4 or 5 weeks, then the progress was gradual. I really started feeling better around month 4, but once I returned to work and started working full time again, it surprisingly seemed to help me. My fatigue level is great - I do not feel too tired to do much. I do still deal with some issues, though:
- radiated area still tender/painful to touch
- lymphodema
- extreme dry mouth
- speech impediment
- occasional sore throat
- trismus in jaw (which i have to stretch daily)
- Cannot eat/drink very acidic or spicy foods (I can tolerate some spice and acidity though)

Those really are my only physical issues now. Not too bad! Keep your hope up it will get better. I actually feel like my normal self again!

John

Okay, from your response to Christine, your plan is to keep worrying and worrying about what may happen. That usually does not work out too well, but it is a popular one. I have to give your credit for your remarkably candid self assessment of your ability to implement a healthy mental strategy. And there is lots and lots to worry about.
Radiation is the gift that keeps on giving. When we talk about the 3 to 4 weeks after radiation, it usually means that the fatigue, the nausea, all the pain that we associated with the radiation continues after the radiation and sometimes intensifies. Plus suddenly you are not seeing a doctor every day and there are all these symptoms - could the cancer be coming back already? Maybe you will never be able to sing again? You can worry about all these things and more.

Or you could get a grip on yourself, realize that being [quote]in pain, constant pain for 3 months before my surgery, then I was in worse constant pain after my surgery, then when I healed from that everything went backwards and I'm in constant pain again[/quote]is pretty much par for the course and not only unremarkable but actually pretty good.

As far as motivation to get your life back, you could take a look at what Christine has been through - and what she does now. She even has sympathy for you.
Charm

I'm just scared. Scared that it will get worse. It's been so hard not to give up already.
I've got 4 treatments left after today. I can't really tolerate solid foods do I've been eating boost with benecalorie added.
I have very little trouble swallowing. And I just hope I don't go backwards a whole lot to go forwards because I'm afraid I'll just give up

Here are some solid foods I was able to tolerate towards the end..
cream of wheat with lots of butter
avocado with olive oil
cottage cheese
custard
sweet potatoes with butter

Hope it helps some!

John, we are all scared and have gone thru all kinds of emotions. Sometimes its necessary to take a step back and see things from a different point of view. Try to think clinically, which is to think of this situation as if you have a disease and this is what is necessary to cure it. Take it day by day and at least attempt to not be bothered by things out of your control.

Worrying will not make you feel one bit better. It only adds unneeded stress to your life and will actually make you feel worse. Maintaining a positive attitude helps you to stay calm and to be able to think clearly about the situation. Once you accept that the only thing you have control over is your intake of enough nutrition and hydration it makes it so much easier to handle mentally. Its a real skill to avoid thinking the "what if's". Every time your mind begins to go there, go do something positive for yourself like drink an ensure or bottle of water. That can be a positive way for you to fight back.

There are only 4 left and you have done excellent! When I was at your point, my 17 year old son practically carried me to a wheelchair and pushed me into the hospital. The doctor took one look at me and admitted me for malnutrition and dehydration. Now you can understand why I keep sounding like a broken record about getting a minimum of 2500 calories and 48 oz of water every single day. Im trying to help you avoid the problems that I went thru.

If you are in pain, ask for pain meds. At this point in your treatment most of us were on the fentanyl patch. Its the strongest pain killer on the market. I was at about 150mg at the end of my treatments for maybe a week before I went back down to 100mg. Do NOT suffer in pain! It doesnt help the patient to be hurting, its actually detrimental so make sure you speak up if you hurt.

You WILL return back to your old life, you WILL sing again. It just takes time. There have been several musicians here who have gone back to their careers after radiation treatments. It all comes down to the better you do with nutrition and hydration, the easier it will be for you to recover. Since radiation continues to work even after you stop treatments, you can count on the next 2 or 3 weeks to still be difficult. After that you will slowly begin to feel a little better every day. It will be 2 steps forward and one step back for the first 2 or 3 months post rads. The rule of thumb is that it takes one month of recovery for every week of radiation. Most patients are able to return to office type jobs 2 or 3 months after finishing. By the 4th of July you will be feeling alot better and by Labor Day you will be doing even better.

Hang in there, Im in your corner (even if you do get mad with me)!!!

I'm scared every day of my life, John, and I am three years out! No, my life is not the same as it was before I was diagnosed, but I do have a life, and I am so grateful for that. You WILL get through this even though some days will be absolute hell. I know that it's easy to say "don't worry" because of course you will worry. Things will get better, even though we can't say exactly when. We are all different, but we have all been through what you have been through, and we are all here for you.

You will get through it! Dont be scared put all your inner strength in to getting through the last weeks of treatment . It gets better I struggled with the last few sessions you are mentally and physically wrecked, but then you can concentrate on getting better. I thought I was never going to eat or taste food properly again and slept so much, but nearly a year later I'm getting back to normal and so will you.
Chin up
Jayne

I'm not upset with anyone its just territory uncharted. I spoke with my oncologist today and she insisted that from the day it is over I will start healing. She said by the time July rolls around ( when I have to go back to work) I'll most likely at the very least be able to talk without having my tongue be in pain.
It's funny how you kind of prioritize things on your life subconsciously because you have no choice.
I could care about eating normally again. I've grown quit accustomed to looking at eating in the same way I look at putting gas in my car. If in a month I can talk, my tongue will be in less pain and I can work at getting my singing voice back I'll be fine.
I don't think I've lost much taste and I only have 4 more treatments to go. I can still taste the strawberry flavor of the boost shakes and the flavor of poweraide when my tongue can tolerate it. I also have very little trouble swallowing. The mornings are the worst but once I get my throat moist I'm
Good to go.
Next week at this time I'll be having my last treatment!

John of Arc

Now that sounds better. BTW, your screen name is very clever. Your oncologist is correct that you will start healing the day TX stops, we're just giving you a heads up that the effects linger. When you stop putting dirt into a bucket of water under a faucet, the water does start getting clearer right away but it's still muddy for a long time. Same thing here.
Glad you are getting your mojo back. Your thoughts of giving up are quite common and normal. Actually you are doing fine compared to some. Take a look at this OCF news release on a more troubling aspect of this disease
Suicide rates
Hang in there. You can do this
Charm

John, when those scary or depressing thoughts come, try just giving them a time limit. Like maybe 2 minutes or less and then switch to more positive thoughts. Instead of thinking about the negative things that could happen, think of all the good things that could happen - and you have already listed some of the good things! It will get better.
Charm - that's a great article! It really helps to be aware or how much depression plays a part in oral cancer recovery. It is important to remember, too - that depression is temporary. Suicide is permanent. There are things one can do about depression, and that's the good news.

You are rockin' it John...If you are still tasting, that's great. By the time we were at 4 more treatments Kev was feeling pretty crummy. Keep up the positive attitude cuz you are doing great!!
I had to laugh about your food is like putting gas in the car. That's what Kevin says. I always ask him what he would like to eat and he says it doesn't really matter, just give him something to put in because he won't enjoy it anyway!! That's on a bad day!!
Hang in there!!

My experience on this site has shown me that appx 10% of us breeze thru this Tx without nary a bump in their life path (really hate those people...lol); 10% start having issues from almost day one and they end up having a horrible time and the rest of us start having issues after our 2nd bag (Big Bag Method) of Ciplatin and really suffer getting progressively worse until appx 2 to 3 weeks POST Tx. Certainly each of us can react differently and the type of chemo (or not) and it's delivery method and whether or not surgery was invloved and their mental attitude and their caregiver situation and on and on can and do make a huge difference in how we handle our Tx.

So I spoke with my oncologist and she said because of my age and how well I'm handling it she thinks I'll start healing as soon as I stop recieving treatments and that in her experience that's how it goes for most patients she's seen. She assured me that 4 weeks from next Thursday my mouth will be in much better shape and that I'll most likely *knock on wood* be able to speak without pain. That's all I want. If I can talk and sing again without being in pain but I can't taste a thing or have to have liquid meals the rest of my life so be it.
But back to the topic
I have to say once you're into the thick of the radiation for me the worst part had been getting up and getting everything going. It's a total nightmare. Depending on how I slept my tongue and mouth could be completely dry and I find every day the pain is in a new place. But once I can gargle, the use magic mouthwash, then take my pain pills and lay back down until they kick in, then have my first liquid meal of the day and then get my teeth brushed then I feel like I could concur the world.
It's funny how things I never thought about in the past are such chores and undertakings now.

Today I am going to a theater a few towns over to visit. I was in a Play there last year and have seen numerous touring productions of broadway plays there. Being that im in no shape to perform in community theater I'm hoping this will allow me to release this sadness and maybe not feel so distant.

Have an awesome time.

So I'm finished with radiation!!! But I have a few concerns. My major one is the tip of my tongue wakes me up. I can't tell if it gets dried out or what but in the middle of the night several times during the night it wakes me up to the point where I'm in tears.
Also I've noticed my soft pallet cannot tolerate any kind of temperature difference and I'm in excruciating pain when I yawn.
And lastly it seems that at the back of my tongue it is also raw or tender to some degree. It can't have food or beverage of any kind (besides water) on it without being in pain.
Did u guys experience anything similar to what I just mentioned? Looking for some support. Thanks guys ;0)

Congrats on finishing!!!! Everything you have described is normal. Biotene gel for dry mouths can help with the tip of your tongue being dry. Rinsing with the baking soda/salt and warm water will also help.

Dont be surprised if you still feel lousy for the next couple weeks, I hope you dont but it is normal if you do. Radiation keeps working even after you have finished treatments. To be honest, I havent seen anyone come thru here who was better as soon as they finished rads even if they were young. It takes most of us 2 to 3 weeks after rads to begin to feel better. Your age is an advantage and will help you to bounce back quicker. Next month this time you will be so much better!

Let the healing begin!!!

Ditto to everything Christine said... hough he dryness will likely persist longer than two weeks and the temperature it took substantially longer, and spicy foods are still unfriendly. good luck...

John, you made it. Congratulations. As everyone has said, you can expect side effects for a bit longer and I know things are tough right now. Hopefully since you're young that period will be shorter than for the rest of us old fogies.

Hang in there buddy - it only gets better from here!

I was the sickest the 2 weeks post Tx, both physically and mentally (questioned "what's next"). IMO this is very normal but like everything else stay on top of all isuues and be sure to continue to get tons of calories (I did 3500 a day when I could) and pleany of water (at least 40 ozs daily). It's as critical or even more so now to do this.

My treatment began two weeks ago (rad and chemo) and my throat burns from the rad. I lost my taste end of week one. Eating is hard with no taste. I can swallow and drink water and ensure pretty easy just now. Am developing some mouth sores but not too much pain. I have had great deal of acid reflux so taking a couple nexuim a day to keep acid down. I have a PEG and will use to eat when/if needed. My problem is the distaste of food with no taste...meat is the worst so I have avoided. I think canned tuna is tolerable and ham seemed to be ok (did not suck). Am drinking more protein shakes. Lost five pounds during week two. I also got a water pick to rinse mouth after each meal after brushing. Hope it helps deal with the mucus.

My Mom will be starting rad. in a couple of wks. The Erbitux only shrunk the HPV...new tumor in her sinus and 2 more new spots on bottom gum line/lip & on inside cheek near lip. The cancer also went thru the roof of her mouth. So, last apptmnt was a real downer. Had hoped at 87 she'd only have to do the Erbitux. The skin on her forearms is darkening & her palms are peeling. No acne rash & from previous posts in other areas, learned that Erbitux wasn't the miracle drug we'd hoped for & I guess it didn't really work. Am glad to be able to come here & learn now what the radiation will do. Drs don't tell you about the mucositis, & haven't mentioned much other than there are good pain drugs. Wish my other fam members would come & read these posts. I tell them what we might expect & they just kind of say...oh...ok. Well, at least I have an idea what to expect so maybe there won't be too many surprises. Prayers for all here. Jane

Hi Jane, if your Mum is given pain medications, make sure she has something to prevent constipation or at least discuss this with her doctors. It may not happen to her, but it happens to many. It would be great to avoid this if you can. It is distressing if you are going through radiation which is challenging, to then have to manage something which could have been avoided.
I really feel for you and your family. Very best wishes to you and your Mum. Linda

Hi there are they talking about giving radiation and cisplatin? If so that will hopefully work - there's another post in this forum just above this thread talking about Erbitux and its benefits and or lack there of. Apparently Erbitux only works on certain people. Where as I belive cisplatin works on most... (though hearing and neorpathy can be factors for some) it seems fairly aggressive hopefully they will move quickly into radiation and not let it progress any further. Blessings to you all.