Husbands zapping started a few months after treatments ended.
They are sometimes more frequent. No real pattern to them.
Just a reminder from the radiation.
Maggie

Wow - I'm so relieved that the zapping has not just been my imagination! It started about a month ago, and sometimes it feels like my legs are going to give out. It isn't painful, just bothersome. My zap mostly go down my lower back and legs. It doesn't feel like sciatic pain, but more like the sensation of touching your tongue to a 9 volt battery.

Rebecca---looks like we finished treatment at the same time, and started zapping at the same time. Guess we're right on schedule! I agree, not painful, but a little worrying. BTW, I find it interesting you were stageIII with a malignant node....no chemo?? did you have full neck rad or just one side?

The IMRT's focus area was the right side, from my jaw to my collarbone. My case went before our cancer center's tumor board, and it was agreed that because the malignant tonsil and node were removed, chemo was not needed. Hope that it doesn't come back to bite me in the future...looking back, I was relieved not to need chemo and felt satisfied that the med oncologists had reviewed my case. It is good to connect another tonsil gal - How are you feeling overall?

I am feeling pretty good---back to work part time. Busy doing a lot of yard work, and running a little bit. I have to say I am exhausted after work(I am a waitress; start at 4:30AM til 2PM).I have fairly dry mouth still, but not so much that I need to use any products for that. I still have swelling on my left jaw where I rceived more radiation, and still get a sore throat, and slight earache on that side. But thats nothing compared to what some people here are going through. I got treated at Dana Farber Cancer Center and the threw everything they had at me. They gave me the same treatment they would give a stage 4 patient; saying they didn't want to see me there again. If I had staying with my original oncologist I would have gotten the same treatment as you, and I wouldn't have had to have a feeding tube. It's interesting the different takes doctors have on the disease. How are you feeling, and how are your side effects?

A battery is a good description hubby said.

Hubby did not have his tonsil removed either.
It was located as the primary only thru a PET Scan. Tumor board recomended radiation. We then waited 6 weeks, so he could finish "cooking", and had another PET done rather than have surgery immediatly after rads. PET came back clear.
He goes every 2 months for follow up.

Had a bit of a scare 9/25. Dr at his regular 2 month appt found a 1/2" lesion on the same tonsil. Said it had to be removed. Since the DRs regular surgery day is Friday we went in and did it w/i 3 days. It was sent to pathology while he was still in surgery and came back
CLEAR
Just iratated (sp?) from the radiation.
Never heard such great words. They did remove 1/2 the tonsil when they did the biopsy tho.

Maggie

I too get exhausted very easily - but am back to work full time. Isn't it funny how everyone wants you to feel "normal" again so that life can go on? I feel lucky that I didn't have as tough as time as many that I read about on this site.

I had a scare also a couple a weeks ago - I felt a lump on the opposite of the neck. Had an MRI and it bone, not a mass. Talk about feeling like my life was over!! I see the ENT monthly and have seen the RO once since finishing tx, won't see him again until about 6 months out.

Hhhmmm.... I'm starting to wonder if I got 'overtreated'. I wonder if they would have removed my tonsil if they had known there was a tumor in it beforehand. I had a scare as well---some solid 'masses in my thyroid, seven fine needle aspirations; which were difficult and painful due to all the scar tissue from radiation. Pathology was benign on those.Whew! I see my chemo oncologist once a month(missed Sept.!) and my RO went to Isreal--won't see him again!

Girlcat,

I think it is very common to compare treatments and wonder why they differ.
Our first ENT was ready to do a full radical neck disecction ASAP, then radiation but told us he only does maybe 3 of them a yr. He said OU Medical Center, 2 1/2 hs away, does probably 6 a week and has a top notch surgical team. We went down there thinking we were setting up the surgery date. That's when they informed us they had a better outcome with radiation first. The stats were good and the possibility of no surgery after the radiation was a factor in our decision.
The tonsil biopsy really was tough on him, can't imagine a full tonsillectomy.
We take it one day at a time.
Does your neck skin look different after the rads?
Maggie

No my skin looks fine and feels very soft. I was lucky,I never got 'burnt', but my skin did darken and 8 days post TX it finished peeling and looked normal. I was using Eucerin and Aquaphor right from the first treatment, applying it several times a day so I don't know if that made a difference. For some reason, i thought they didn't biopsy a tonsil, preferring to remove it entirely. But maybe thats my ENT's opinion. Interesting, all the different treatments. Hope your hubby's feeling better after the biopsy.