Sorry, Eric. I should have said that my hearing is quite normal, despite some loud concerts in my youth. The extreme changes tapered off to nothing in about a week or 10 days. The value of this forum is that I mentioned this to another member, just as an aside, and she knew what it meant, thus saving my hearing! Later I asked my regular oncologist, who is young, about it. He had never heard of that side effect. Because I am one of the luckiest persons I know, on the day I showed up for Cisplatin No. 3, the young doc was gone someplace and his replacement was an older doc who knew what was what. To be specific, the change was that ordinary noise, like crumbling paper, was exquisitely painful to me, as were most voices. I wore ear plugs for a week. The older doc said he had one patient like that a long time ago, who did end up deaf as a post because nobody knew what that change meant. About nausea, I didn't experience any, but I checked my journal and in it I complained that the drugs given me to prevent it made me really, really spaced out for a couple of days. In retrospect, I think I would rather have thrown up and remained clear headed. Go for the chemo! However it works out, it is just a short period in your life. Lots of us, some strong and stubborn and some scared, have all come though and you will too. I remember that in the infusion center, there must be 50 beds, and I was always embarrassed to feel so good when everyone around me looked terribly, terribly ill. Chemo is, in my opinion, more of a nuisance because it takes so much time, than the rigors of rad, with which you are familiar. You can, and should, do this, Eric.
Joanna, who is SO good at telling everyone else what to do (grin)