Hi Kristen:
Sorry to hear about the misery. Hair loss at the base of my neck was also a surprise. I wouldn't have known about it unless someone told me. I am 7 weeks post treatment now and it has started coming back. I know that doesn't help you right now, but it does promise there is light at the end of this tunnel, even though right now for you it looks awfully dark and scary.

When I was in treatment the guy who had the time slot just ahead of mine had a lot of problems with skin burns on his neck from the radiation. They were bad enough that he had to stop/delay treatment on more than one occasion. You haven't mentioned neck burns yet, that's good. Be sure and keep up the daily use of Aquaphor to keep that skin soft and pliable and avoid wearing shirts with collars that can rub the skin and cause sores. The last thing you need right now is another side effect to deal with.

The forum may be your best place to help get you through all these side effects from treatment. Of course, we can't make them go away, but sometimes just hearing that others had them too and how bad they were might help you, kind of a yours are bad but his were worse, and he got through his, and so will you.

One last thought, in the beginning, when we are first diagnosed and we start learning what we are about to go through the load seems just to large to bear. How does anyone get through this? But then family members come along and tell you and show you how to endure it one day at a time. If it gets really bad, how to endure it one hour at a time. So, I remind you of the same thing, your job today is to just get through today, it is NOT to worry about tomorrow. I will bet that you already know you CAN get through today no matter how bad all the effects are. So, do just that, get through today. Tomorrow, you will wake up and realize you got through yesterday, you won that battle, and that will give you strength to get through it again.

Yes, the side effects sometimes get worse. But, I've never heard of anyone who didn't make it through treatment. You will make it through too, you just have a rough patch to get through right now. Keep taking your pain meds, keep up your hydration and your nutrition, soon enough you will begin to see a light at the end of this dark tunnel.