Steve, welcome. Wendy and Charm both offer great advice. If you're starting rads in just a few days, since you didn't say anything about it, I'll assume you're doing it without a PEG, something I believe most people get in advance if they're using one.

I too went through the cycle without, although it was difficult. As Charm says, your mouth and throat will burn, both inside and out. I found it impossible to swallow anything without first numbing my mouth with viscous lidocaine. Even that was only partially successful, but I made it through. As with everything else about medical treatment, we're all different.

There are plenty of topical creams and such for neck burns. Aquafor is good. Ultimately I was using silver sulfadiazine, an older line medication. It's a thick cream and really helps, especially in the later stages of treatment.

Depending on the kind of radiation you're getting and where, as I'm sure your docs have told you, your parotid (salivary) glands will likely be affected. Again, I don't think there's any way to predict by how much. A lot of us have essentially lost our ability to produce saliva although for many, myself included, some function does indeed come back over time.

Whatever the case it's likely that you'll be dealing with the dreaded twosome: xerostomia aka dry mouth; and mucousitis, aka too much of the stuff. There are various sprays and balms for the former, which you can ask your docs/nurses about. The latter is something you just have to endure. Rinsing your mouth with baking soda in water is helpful for both conditions, but not a cure. Many here will be able to offer specific tricks. I just kept a couple of emesis bowls/cups/plenty of kleenex handy in every room!

Don't tolerate the pain. No reason to live life that way, and there definitely will be pain. Ask your doc for painkillers - as many as you need. Percocet/oxycodone worked for me, I was eating it like candy. I also had a Fentanyl patch for the last few weeks of treatment.

Mainly, just plan on lying around a lot and, hopefully, sleeping! It's a tough treatment but you sound like a guy who's got the right attitude. You don't mention whether you have people to help you - wife, girlfriend, family, etc. Expect to lean on these folks. I went through my treatment alone and I wouldn't recommend it.

And lean on all your new friends here at OCF. These people are the best. I still get tears in my eyes just thinking about them.

Courage.
David 2