Gail,
That's really great! Hope the next 13 go as well as the last 20. I'm curious about the difference amiphistone makes. We asked for Jerry to get that as well, but his R.O. told us that there was no proven statistical advantage regarding dry mouth (and also mumbled something about it costing as much as the radiation). He said that because IMRT physically spares the parotid glands (or in Jerry's case, all of one and much of the other) that the amiphistone wouldn't add any benefit. Of course, this CCC still does conventional radiation for post-operative H&N patients. He said if Jerry had been given the standard radiation, he may have given him amiphistone. I found the whole experience confusing because we spent a lot of energy early on trying to get both IMRT and then amiphistone for him since neither were initially offered up by the R.O.

Are there any studies showing the statistical advantage of IMRT + amiphistone over just IMRT?

At any rate, it certainly sounds like its working well for Barry. Jerry definitely ended up with some dry mouth, but maybe it will be resolved between the hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the acupuncture treatments.

By the way, if you like bird watching, you ought to do it in Florida sometime. Every day, I pass Sandhill Cranes, Wood Storks, ibis, Great Blue and White herons, an occasional roseate spoonbill, and a host of other beautiful birds. The 'big birds' are really magnificent, some with a wing span of six feet.

Connie