Hi Tedebear, I had 48 rounds of radiation to my left tonsil and both sides of the neck. The whole neck was burnt with blood. This happened when I had undergone about 30 rounds. Like Gary, the healing of the neck was the fastest but the burning still leaves a very obvious mark on my left shoulder and I don't think it will ever disappear.Doesn't bother me too much as I can use a small scarf to cover it. Another side effect is the loss of voice which lasted about a month. It was so hoarse that people could hardly understand me even if they were very close to me. I was worried that I could never have my voice back but I was wrong because today I can still teach my students though I must use a microphone. Another disturbing side effect was the presence of a lot of mucus with blood. I had to consume a lot of tissues during the time. This lasted over a month then the amount of mucus decreased gradually. At this point of time, I felt my dry mouth irritating me.Sore throat, tongue ulcers were painful and caused difficulty in swallowing. I forced myself to drink water, soup and eat congee and icecream.Nutrition is very important at this stage. I started my new normal 7 months post treatment. Family support is absolutely essential during and after treatment.

Karen stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/01.