Dad is into his 4th week of RO and Erbitux treatment and is not doing well!!! I am wigging out pretty bad and am hoping someone here can help! Charm has given me some insight into the rash from the Erbitux and is aware of my problems with it's side effects...however I am having other issues since his violent reaction to the drug last week. On Friday I took Dad(78)to the ER with symptoms of severe burns and swelling in his face and neck from the adverse reaction to the Erbitux. (Thank-you Charm for giving me the inside knowledge of the side effects that you experienced because I was much more knowledgeable than ANY of the Dr's or nurses here in our area.) They gave us some Roxanal and put some 2nd skin on him and then sent us home with a 6 day pack of cortisone. The bad thing is that he is now so full of dementia that he is like a completely different person than he was last week before all this started. Is this side effects of the reaction or is this what I am to expect from now until the end of his treatments? Has anyone out there had the same problems or are we looking at a unique situation? I have not given him the Roxanal since Saturday morning but he is just out of it. (He is in his own Private Idaho!!) I cannot get him to eat or stay awake longer than 15 minutes. He wobbles around like a drunk and can hardly get his head wrapped around what to do with his daily activities...bathing, brushing his teeth etc... So has anyone else had any of these issues? I know his age is a huge factor in all this! But I am scared for him (And myself) and nobody here seems to have any answers...as usual! Oh and by the way...they opted not to give him his Erbitux infusion this week until they can get this reaction under control. So I am also nervous that this is going to delay his healing.
Anyone out there????

Thanks All,
Susan