Welcome to the forum. I’m sorry you have to join our circle of friends but we have all been through this journey in one capacity or another and we are here to help you.

The effects of radiation are gradual and your mother probably won’t feel the side effects until maybe the end of the second week or the third week. However, she should start the skin care routine from day 1 so that there will be less effect from skin breakdown. The routine should include putting a cream (her doctors will recommend a cream, we used Lubriderm) every time she finishes radiation. However, make sure that her skin is clean and free from any cream when she goes into the treatment room. (Think eggs frying in hot oil — that’s what will happen if she has cream on her skin during radiation). Put the cream on as soon as she comes out radiation. At our hospital, the nurses also recommend doing a saline soak — cover the part where the skin is red with a J cloth soaked in sterile saline solution (the saline is available from the pharmacy). Wait a few minutes then remove the J cloth and cover the area with cream. Do this several times a day.

Other things can include creating a little area for her in the sitting room where she can watch TV, talk to the family and has all the things she need, like water, cream, etc. This will be helpful when she starts getting fatigued from the radiation. Do make sure she drinks lots of water to make up for the dehydration. Despite the throat pain, she will have to find a way to keep up with her nutrition and fluid intake. Please look up some of ChristineB’s posts on intake.

With your support, I’m sure she will get through it.