H,
Timeline:
With all testing expedited, it was about almost 2 months from initial Dx to my first day on the table.
If your mother is having teeth pulled that will delay things a week or so.
If your mother is having surgery, like a radical or modified neck disection, then it will be about three weeks before they start radiation.
Radiation can be from about 33 to 37 calendar days (not counting the weekends - or machine breakdowns) depending on the specific treatment plan. Figure a little shy of 2 months.
It'll be about 1-2 months before the radiation effects even start to get better.
After that's all over figure about one month of recovery for every week of radiation (from the end of radiation).
It'll take about a year to 1 1/2 years to have blood chemistry back to low normal limits.
I was pretty beat up and totally disabled for almost 2 years. I was a healthy 55 year old going into this.
About herbs, I wouldn't waste my money on a "cure", or whatever, based on testimonial evidence. There is no science to support that this is safe and efficacious and, in fact, may negatively interact with her meds. Even many acupuncturists have admitted that it is not very effective for head & neck issues, particularly Zerostomia (dry mouth).
Here is a link to Quackwatch concerning alternative cancer cures:
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/altseek.html It is shameful what some people will do to scam cancer patients. Some of these are big businesses like GNC.
Hopefully you will never experience anything like this again. Your mother is fortunate that they caught this in an early stage. Many of us were not Dx'd until we were quite advanced. Tell us more about they discovered it.
