Hi Danielle,
It sounds like your mom is doing about how I did with the radiation. My face got really red, I had two small open spots that were weepy. I remember waking up feeling like I was choking and that lasted for about 3 weeks after treatment ended. I lost my voice the last week of treatment but was able to talk again after about a week or so. I have always felt like the fact that I kept up and moving helped me get through it better. Not to say I didn't do my fair share of sleeping, I did, but when I was awake I tried to do all that I did before radiation.
Tell her to hang in there, she is at the end of it and it will now only get better.
Minnie

SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.