Just an update. I have completed 21 of 30 treatments. I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel now.

The doctor has me taking compazine every six hours and it seems to have stopped the nausea. The morphine is holding the pain (soar throat mostly) to a tolerable level. I take an ativan at night to help me get to sleep.

I am still able to eat (although I don't really want to) and haven't lost too much weight so far. I think I might make it without a PEG. The next two weeks will tell.

Once again, thank you all for the support.

I haven't posted in a while. I had my last radiation treatment today.

I meet with the doctor tomorrow to see where we go from here. I am losing weight, but not significantly (14 lbs since we found the tumor).

My throat is extremely sore and I have some sores on the bottom of my tongue that give me the most pain. The doctor has provided Lydocaine to numb my tongue while eating.

See.....you made it through the treatments. Now, to recovery time. From what I've read it will be slow but steady.

I'm right behind you and should be done with my treatments this coming week. I've already had 40 rad treatments and thinking it should top out at about 45-50??

It amazes me how much different this thing affects different people....side effects wise. Pretty much everybody has similar effects but to MUCH different degrees. Like I've had absolute zero nausea and almost zero pain issues thru all this so far. I consider myself very very lucky. Some people get hit with the whole nine yards.

But, I haven't eaten any solid food now for over a month. Just can't handle the taste so I just gave up trying to find something I could handle. I'll be giving solid foods more trys now that treatments are almost over. I figure sooner or later something will taste good again.

Keep us posted Max on the recovery.

I finished treatments on May 10th. I had only lost 14 pounds during treatment. After the radiation was over though, my mouth and throat became very sore. I am still having difficulty swallowing. My since of taste is back, but I am still losing weight. I have lost almost 25 more pounds since the radiation ended.

The doctors are stumped as to why my mouth and throat are not healing. The are thinking about trying a hyper-barec tank for treatment.

Anybody have anything similar?

Max, Two things come to mind:

First you are loosing weight because you are not getting more than 2500 calories (or more) in you each day and,

Second have you taken anything for thrush?

My mouth and throat were the slowest to heal - I am kind of stunned at your doctors response. It took months for complete healing. I wish doctors would tell the truth more often and not dispense so much bullshit.

Gary is right on the money with his last post here. Doctors, for whatever reason, try to "pretty up" the radiation experience. Mine did, and it made it more difficult on me. I finished radiation in July of 03 and I didn't even THINK about eating or any of that for MONTHS. I remember barely being able to sip water and my throat and mouth being on fire. Time is the key word at this stage.

Max- Don't get down it really does take a couple of months before your mouth heals. Try milkshakes in any flavor that you can taste! Vanilla tasted pretty good but chocolate still does not go down! Starbucks Frappacinos were also a favorite--I could at least taste the coffee and they were cold! Practice stretching open your mouth so you can get the food in when you are ready to eat, too! After 4 years I still have problems opening my mouth wide enough to eat a thick sandwich. - Kris

I know it

That is terrific news, Max!

Thanks for posting to let us know how you are, and so that others can see the value of the HBO treatments.