Hi Sophie,

It does seem like a lifetime from initial diagnosis until the treatment ball starts rolling but 4-8 weeks sounds about normal. For some it's a little faster I was diagnosed on Nov. 21st 2012 (officially on the 30th), didn't have the surgery to remove the cancer until Feb.7th 2013 and stated treatment over a month later than that.

Concerning the wine. Pretty soon he'll have all sorts of narcotics and if he's getting radiation, he won't be drinking anything with alcohol for a long time, so a couple glasses of wine in the mean time isn't (in my opinion) going to hurt him. Based on the type of cancer and treatment, future consumption should be discussed with your team. I can tell you that I'm able to enjoy a beer or two now and again close to 6 months post treatment.

Good luck! Positive thoughts and prayers.

"T"