On the question of pre-rad ointments, etc.; for what it's worth, I've too have heard it's more a question of the synergy of the radiation and the cream, ointment etc, causing wierd combinations, burns, and reactions, more than the thickness/ray distortion. Maybe like how fluids, water, etc change the effect of sun rays (sometimes unpredictably) on the skin...but I could totally wrong on that one...(and everything else for that matter:)

What's it called, Refraction?

We just landed this morning (5:30 AM!!) in NY...

Hot & humid here, but not as bad as 11 days ago.

Glad to be here and starting the ball rolling...

There's an interesting new release today about Hemoglobin levels, in esophogeal cancers, which may or may not relate at all to ours, but it's mildly interesting...

http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/news.aspx?id=34722

My blood labs from 48 hours ago had HGB at 14.8 g/dl :-)

The thing that's bugging me the most the last 2 days is a "feeling" in my throat/mouth

I "feel" like the cancer's returned to the right tonsil tumor bed !!

I can FEEL something in there, especially when swalling, like something's stuck in my throat (how post-nasal-drip feels a bit), but it never goes comnpletely away...sometimes it's more noticable than others...

I can kinda feel like it would cause me to gag sometimes if I let it, and maybe make's my voice sound a little "gargle-ie", like I need to blow my nose sounding...

Of course, I had the 2 wisdom teeth removed on the other side about 13 days ago, had 4 fillings last week, a deep cleaning, etc, so there's been a lot of hands in my mouth!!

Then, I got sick with a 4 day cold the end of July too...

Anyway, I have my GTube surgery tomorrow, so we'll see if I can talk to an ENT while there.

They did an MRI last vist on the the 27th, just before my simulation, and I never heard anything about the results...I wonder if someone would have told me if there was something alarming??? Problably not, they'd just wait until my next appt... :-(

I should have had the radiologist's reading sent to me via fax, but forgot, and at the time, felt like it was more of a formality, to establish baselines, etc.

Maybe I'll feel better after some rest and jet lag catch up.

Things are worse on a weekend, or at night, since easily accessable health professional are slim..I think this adds (like I've said about nighttime before) to the anxiety.

Eating seems to temper the "sensation" a bit, so we're off the 3rd Ave to find a great street side bistro table..

I do notice that I have no "pain" in the site (like I started to get 24 hours just before the surgery), and no ear aches, fevers, or anything like that.

Gail, I think the aloe is a good idea too, I've been "taking" it for a couple of weeks now...100% pure, oraganic, and I've read that "Cold Pressed" is important too, but who knows!?

As far as vitamins as pills, versus in "foods" we consume, my surgeon answered this paradox by saying, "...no one really knows!"

(at least he wsa honest:)

Anyway, he say's that science doesn't understand why completely, but nutrients from foods are different to our systems than pill form suppliments so maybe that's a distinction to help exlain why vitamins added to 'foods' don't affect tx, but suppliments do..?

Or, maybe it's a way for the health care professionals to monitor (read: control) what we take into our bodies in the way of pills, suppliments, herbs, and medicines..?

Hope everyone is well!!!!!