So Ken has 6 more radiation treatments to go (including today). I haven't posted in a while - it started to go bad so quickly and we were so scared but amazingly it turned around. Not to say that his throat doesn't hurt or his skin isn't really realy red - but it really hasn't been so bad. The doctor gave him a prescription for what he calls his triple mix elixer - hydro, lidocain and malax. He takes a gulp about 10 minutes before meals and has basically been able to eat most anything. He hasn't lost any weight. In fact through this whole process he has gained almost 30 pounds. The best stuff is the Caphosol. Worked a miracle. Within a couple days of using the stuff (5 or 6 times a day) all of the sores in his mouth were gone and are still gone and the mucus is nominal. He carries a bottle of water and uses Numoisyn for the dried up saliva glands. It could all go to hell in a handbasket this week - but we are sure hoping to tow the line. He still goes to work every day - just doesn't put in the 10 or 12 hour days - more like 6 or 7. Last Thursday when the doc looked in his throat he commented that he'd never seen a better looking throat this late in the game. At night he takes either a 30mg morphine sulphate tablet or a 500 mg hydro so the pain has been tolerable. He is definately tired and sleeping longer, later and napping when he can. I'm pushing for him to come home after rads this week so he can rest and not have to talk - instead of going back to work - but we'll see.

I hope no one takes this post the wrong way in that woohoo my husband has had such an easy time... What I'm trying to get across is that sometimes its not so horrible and it can be tolerable. We feel very blessed at this point.