Sandy - Regarding the Rad side effects - it does help to be prepared for eventualities, but remember that everyone is different and just because something is possible, it doesn't man it will happen. So when the "what-ifs" attack, try not to give them too much time before you switch to the more positive probabilities which is more productive and less stressful. I don't have your experience to be able to suggest what questions to ask, but whatever your doctor recommends, I would ask him/her "Why?" and ask for more details and also tell him how you are feeling in case he can help reassure you or has meds to help with the stress. If you go over info on the main pages of OCF or use the search boxes, it may give you some ideas about what questions to ask of your doctor, or for us here. About the staff member's unthinking comment, I would love to have asked her "What's wrong with your brain?" She must have been absent the day they discussed bedside manner. Hope everything goes well with your Oncologist meeting.