This cancer is 50% mental so count on your mind messing with you throughout this crappy Tx. Your sore throat is probably due to radiation irritation not the colds but you are naturally going to think the worst. We all did.

You will soon lose your taste and that for me was quite an adjustment. I mean we all eat for pleasure and BAM that's gone. Just be prepared. Next you will slowly avoid eating solids and will then rely on totally liquids. Remember the best thing to do is get 2500 to 3000 cals EACH AND EVERY DAY and swallowing will become progressively more uncomfortable so you will want to limit the amount of swallowing you have to do so I recommend getting BOOST VHC which has 560 cals in each small can. That means you will only have to swallow 5 of those cans vs 7 or 8 of the Plus cans. Believe me this will mean a lot when or if you get to that point.

Did you get Fluoride Trays?

Watch out for the 2nd and 3rd chemo. The first one for me was a non event, scary as hell but no nausea. The second one, which remember comes after 15 radiations, made me sick as a dog despite the anti nausea stuff and the 3rd one which was before my last radiation was much worse.

Some treatment centers break the 3 large bags into 6 weekly bags which seem to be easier on the patient and doesn't seem to affect the survival rate. Also if you start to hear anything strange coming from your ears, they call it "ringing" but it sounded more to me like a faint buzz, call your MO immediately as Cisplatin, especially given in this 3 Big Bag method can cause permanent hearing loss. They can switch you to Carboplatin which some say is just as effective as Cis but doesn't have the nasty side effects. Yeah I know that begs the obvious question but don't bother asking because you won't get an answer.

I'm sure you will continue to get suggestions as you progress and please ask us anything anytime.