Hi Diana:

First off, let me apologize for my fellow professionals (or lack thereof according to your experience) in the nursing world.Most nurses have no idea the impact their words (positive and negative) have on clients and their families. Next time a nurse or other medical team member tells you "they are at a loss" or "your dad looks worse than I have ever seen", stop the person cold and tell him/her that is an upsetting comment. Sometimes, the routine of working in the radiation department makes it hard for health care workers to remember that every treatment day is a traumatic experience for patients and that's just in the waiting room!

As for the nausea, there is an arsenal of very effective medicines out there that can used alone or in combination given by mouth, patch, or by IV. The same is true for pain medications.

If your dad is being treated in a large cancer center, you can check and see if the radiation department has its own nurse practitioner and/or ask if there is a pain service and/or oncology nurse practitioner who can consult on the case. Often, these nurses are an untapped resources with alot of tricks in their bags that are helpful.

Did your dad have any blood cultures to see if he had any bacteria in his body? This condition is also called sepsis and it is a common effect of chemotherapy.

Kim