JAM,STeve & Edgar: Thank you all for the nice welcome! It is so nice to have knowledgeable people to "talk to " about this...Rick was very grouchy today after his double dose of chemo today - both Cisplatin and Erbitux. Aggravation? Definitely. I can't do anything right. He ate dinner pretty well. I can see that he will probably need a PEG tube soon. He complains of mouth pain already and he doesn't start radiation Tx until next week. The mass is necrotic and he keeps coughing up chunks of tissue. That isn't good, is it??????

We started off at the University of Cincinnati's Barrett Cancer Center. His ENT surgeon is there, and that is whom we will use if & when its' time for surgery. It is about 50 minutes away, so it is not practical for the daily treatments. The hospital I work at has a nice "close to home" cancer center with a very good med onc. So We are in good hands, I feel, all around. I work long hours, so I won't be able to check in here every night....But I will keep trying. I am learining alot. Thanks again.