My personal experience with chemoradiation therapy is the only discomfort I had during the treatment was some burns around my neck that healed quickly after treatment was over and some nausea, usually a few days after a chemo infusion. I had (and continue to have) more discomfort after treatment is over - a lot of pain from mouth and tongue ulcers that seems to improve very slowly overall, peppered with new hot spots that spring up randomly. I continue to have difficulty swallowing due to the pain but mostly due to the lymphedema, swelling, and muscle fibrosis. It also is slowly improving so I just kind of go with the flow, eat what I can eat without too much pain or trouble, and sometimes go for a "stretch" where I don't give a darn how much something is going to hurt or how much I'm going to choke, gag, and hack - I'm going to eat it and that's that. Stubbornness and determination can cause you some pain and you certainly don't want to cause injury to yourself but some of my major advances, like going out to eat in a restaurant in public, came as a direct result of pushing the envelope.

Everybody is different with regards to your medical condition and needs, and everybody is different in regards to how you approach challenges. Everybody is different as to what motivates you - for some people, quiet personal satisfaction is the key and they don;t like for people to fuss about them, while I like to get feedback from my family and doctors about what a great guy I am when I do what I do. Hee, hee - it's true - express surprise that I can slug down a glass of water and I'll throw a handful of my pills down the hatch and follow with that glass of water to up the ante. I don't care how juvenile that sounds - it's what works and I know it. Get to know yourself - and be honest - and do what works for you. And tell us about it - we won't judge - you will only find support and positive feedback. I see this as my new normal - it's not the life I would have chosen but it's the only one I have and I'll be darned if I don't make the most out of it.

Best wishes and don't be a stranger.

Lee