Michael, You will get through this (and Seth, you will too--we do all know here that this treatment is hard on caretakers too), even though you'll have moments where it seems impossible. The main thing is to learn the trick of taking one day at a time and not trying to look ahread too far. Especially when you're at the beginning of treatment.

It's very possible that if your docs and nurses keep fiddling with your nausea meds, you won't have it so bad in the future. Don't give up on that--keep talking to them about what is working and what isn't! FWIW, I had ear ringing and pins and needles after each cisplatin treatment but only very rarely have some ear ringing now--and not bad (loud or long) at all. Also, I never had pain that got too severe all through my treatment (I did take--and am still taking--oxydose but it's a pretty low dose and I never needed the stronger patches or anything).

OTOH, you don't want to know how long it is taking for me to get rid of this painful mouth and mouth sores! Every day I wonder WHEN I will ever be able to get off my tube! We all go through the treatment and recover in our own way, I guess, is the moral of all that and you can't really predict how it will be for you (I was sure I'd be in more pain during treatment but definitely off the tube and with less mouth pain this far after--how's that for accurate forecasting?), so don't "borrow trouble" as a friend of mine says, just concentrate on this day and try to find something to enjoy in it, regardless of what else is going on.

We're all here for you.