 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Since there are only 4 more rad treatments left that would explain why there are so many issues happening right now. The next 3 weeks will be very difficult. Rads are cumulative and they build up even after the treatments have ended.
The one thing that can be controlled is good nutrition and hydration. By taking in every single day (for at least the next year) a minimum of 2500 calories and 48 oz of water it will help him to get thru this and to recover. I would ask about getting hydrated in the chemo lab, it will make a huge difference!
Take some time to read thru posts and you will find all the answers to your "whats next" questions. Things like thick ropey mucous will hang around for a couple weeks to be replaced by dry mouth. At this point you probably dont want to get too far ahead of yourself with whats happening next. Focus on what is happening right now and push that nutrition, fluids and pain meds.
Ive never even heard of those pain meds. No wonder he is feeling awful!!! At that point when I was going thru tx I was on 150 mg fentanyl patches. Sometimes the caregiver needs to put on their "nurse hat from heck" and be a squeaky wheel until they get some action. Nobody should be in pain like that!!!! There have been studies done showing how detrimental it is to the patient to be hurting. They will do so much better when they arent in pain. If you need me to find the study and post it for you to print out I will, just say the word. Tell those doctors that they MUST do something to help him handle the pain. It really is inhumane for his doctors to allow him to suffer. This really ticks me off when I hear of an OC patient suffering in pain when those doctors have no clue how bad it can be and they have the capability to change that but they dont. GGGRRRRR!!!! Speak up and tell them he needs the fentanyl patch and he should be starting out with a 50 mg and if that doesnt work they need to move it up to 100mg. It takes 24 hours to kick in so if you get some action tomorrow he could be feeling better on Tuesday. Do not take NO for an answer.
Good luck!!!!!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
