Mary, the question you ask is really unanswerable because it affects everyone differently.

More to the point, however, questions like this focus your attention on your fears, and believe me, fear is the last thing you need to focus on.

Instead, focus on finding things that you can do to ease your mum's suffering. Use your imagination here; and that is something you simply cannot do if your mind is paralyzed with fear.

Focus on the fact that your mum will return to a reasonable facsimile of normalcy when the treatments are completed, and whatever extended time of side effects is expired and healing is all that's going on.

That is a fact, you know; this treatment is bad, but it is also transitory; it will come to an end sooner than you can imagine, and this will all be mostly nothing but a bad memory.

Sure, these things are not easy to do when you are racked with fear; but show the determination to succeed that your mum is already showing.

I wish you both the very best of luck getting through this, it's not going to be pleasant, but neither will it be as bad as your fears.

Bart

PS, as soon as I hit "send" for this message, I'm off to get my own radiation for today.

Hi your sons condition is very closely related to what my mother has gone through. Its hooray at the moment because her radiotherapy ended on Thursday 20th march. I am finding that mum is being really stubborn when it comes to pain relief but I do persevere until she has it.
Her neck has become inflamed and they have made a makeshift collar for it to prevent her clothes from rubbing against the area. What pain meds did your son use?

Maryh - re the symptoms when radiation ends - it's true that everybody is different in their reactions and recovery, but I know for my son, and for many others here, the first 2 or three weeks were the worse. On the plus side, however, just knowing that radiation is over and that everything does get better is very encouraging so if you can help your mum to think about the positives of recovery, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel - she may feel more in control and be able to realize that better and better days are coming! Deep breathing, meditation helped both my son and me to get through it.