Cheryl,
I would like to add another comment about RT and the recovery time. Another poster here stated that "the worst if it is over in 7 weeks". That's not quite accurate. About 7 weeks is when you will finally start to see some improvement in your condition. Stated another way, at the end of 7 weeks you will start measuring your forward progress in three week increments for several months post Tx. The post Tx effects of the RT alone gone on for about 3 weeks. The general rule has always been that it takes one month of recovery for each week of radiation. I was in great health going into treatment and tried my best to defy the rule - not. Once again, this is not to discourage you and all of us respond differently to treatment but I am a firm believer in planning for the worst case scenario. It was a good 2 years until I was about 95% of where I was pre Tx. After 2 years, some collateral damage stared to appear in my fibrotic neck muscles, as a result of the radiation. I have muscle spasms fairly frequently as a result and others here have reported the same effects. My side effecrs have been relatively tame.

Last edited by Gary; 01-11-2009 09:38 PM.

Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)