 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Hi Robin,
Any doctor that downplays the effects of radiation is either not familiar with the broad range of side effects it brings or they simply don't care. My doctors kept telling me, over and over, "we're happy you're feeling better from the surgery, but we're going to make you very, very sick again with the radiation". The medical field is all about money, of course it makes a difference that she doesn't have any insurance. She should have a PEG and she should have been told long before now about medications to treat mouth sores and skin irritations and burns. Tell her to ask one of the nurses or the radiation techs, they have free supplies there they can give her. I used aquaphore and they gave me a tube of it for free. She needs someone to fight for her and make sure she gets the proper medical attention.
Good luck with it all!
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.
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