My mother has had several surgeries to remove oral cancer in her mouth. Every time it was Stage I (in Situ). The first time the doctor thought it was cured (very good pathology report). But it recurred in different areas of the same side of her month several times. The doctor did not recommend radiation as it was difficult to pinpoint where "to radiate"

But now that the prospect of radiation becomes real, my mother is extremlly distressed. She is crying non-stop, and the very thought that she cannot even come out of the house without people noticing burns on her face bring her to tears. She does not want anyone to know that that has cancer or undergoing treatments. And since she lives in New York in an apartment building, it's hard for her to even go to the street without popping into someone.

Add to that a lot of pain she is already experiencing in her mouth because of all the surgeries. Her desire to go through with procedures and even with her life are not at the highest level at the moment.

I would like to ask women that had to go through this: how did the radiation treatment go? What kept you going? How do you motivate and console someone who is going through this?

Thanks.