Hi -- Back from Maine -- we received our Therabite set while we were away, only 3 days' after ordering; reading instructions, it seems straight-foward enough. Didn't get a video, is this supposed to come with it or was it a separate order? The dental folks at Hopkins just recommend the fingers method, but after reading the paper on OCF web site decided that was not good enough -- will start right away, especially after heeding Barry's ENT's warning re swallowing issues and trismus.

The Hopkins rehab people told Bary to start using aloe vera gel (the 100% type, that you can swallow) both of neck area externally and in mouth; they also sent a sample of some cream (not Biafine) that is specially for radiation burns (Burn-block) -- the name sounds like you use it before getting rads but the instructions are clear that you only use it afterwards.

However, as a biologist I have been a little skeptical from beginning about the admonition not to put anything on the skin before radiation -- the photon beams are passing through various (and varying thicknesses over time) layers of skin, muscle, fat, etc. -- all of which have different densities -- and yet can be more-or-less precisely targeted -- how can 1 mm of say aloe gel cause any deflection of such energetic radiation? Not that we are going to go against what the radiation people say, but it doesn't seem to make much sense.

Same as with admonition not to take certain antioxidants, but if you look at what's in Boost, someone taking 6-7 bottles a day, is getting lots of C, E, and other proscribed vitamins in the food -- just as if they were popping the pills...

Oh well, on with the show...

Gail