Thank you all so much for your responses. I will check out Paul's thread. My mom's surgery went well, but there were extra-capsular cancer cells outside a few lymph nodes in her neck, so the doctors really believe radiation is necessary to kill it all. I appreciate the support from others who've made similar decisions. It seems kind of like a waiting game now. But she's feeling stronger every day out from surgery and actually went bowling with me and the grandkids last weekend...those are the moments she's afraid to lose by going down the further treatment road at this point.