Kim, I just had my mapping yesterday and my treatments both start on Monday the 14th. I then have my first Cisplatin chemo treatment the next day. Kim, all the best with your treatments, and I know we can do this. I had to really concentrate when they made the mask, I came close to having to stop, but I just tried to think relaxing thoughts..... I just hope the second time I am in it it will be a little easier. I was given a prescription for Ativan which I plan on using to hopefully help.

Andy

I had a tongue depressor in my mouth through the mask during IMRT. It had a soft square type thing on it to bite on. Saliva swallowing was a problem at first, but after a short while you will lose your swallowing reflex and your mouth will dry out and it won't be that big a deal. Toward the end you might have a mucous problem and at that point you may have to stop half way through treatment to cough it up. That's what I did. My sessions were actually 45 minutes.

I'm a newbie -- I just went for my "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" mask and they used a tongue depressor with some sort of soft plastic on one end -- Very easy to bite down and keep my tongue in one place without moving -- Very little need to swallow. Am only having the radiation, but am going to have Amifostine injections (stomach) -- They prescribed Compazine for nausea, but will keep the above comments about Zofran and Anzemet in mind if that's not successful -- This is a great group.

Pete

Well, after 20 sessions (of 37) with the Amifostine, they decided that I am showing too many signs of allergic reaction to it and have discontinued its use ( stomach injections were staying red and itching for days despite hydrocortizone cream, plus spotting on upper back). I hope it did some good. At least my appointments go more quickly without all the weighin, BPs and waiting period <g>.

Pete

Pete --

That's about the average -- actually, better than average -- number of treatments of amifostine that Hopkins rad patients can tolerate, per our RO -- most get some sort of lingering nausea or generalized rash (like you did) about 3-4 weeks in. Nevertheless, both our RO and our dental oncologist feel that even an abbreviated course of Ethyol helps. Barry, who took it all the way through, skipped one day a week from the beginning (chemo day) and in last three weeks (of 7), he also skipped Fridays as he was having more post-chemo nausea if he took amifostine (but none if he didn't). I think he ended up having 24-25 Ethyol treatments out of 33 radiations -- and everyone seems to think his salivary function came through very well, although of course not in same league as before the radiation.

Hopefully it will work for you as well! Hang in there, you are past the half-way point!

Gail

Pete,

I wish my reactions were as calm as yours! I vomitted violently about 29-31 minutes after the shot and eventually escalated to 104 degree fever within 15 minutes before they stopped mine about 16 days into treatment. I lit up like a stop light, too.

Ed

Part of my mild reactions may have been because I am only doing the radiation, no chemo -- I can only imagine how synergistic two or more nausea-inducing agents must be!

Pete