Back with new symptoms to describe....It's exhausting, isn't it?

My husband has a referral to a neurologist for sporadic numbness on one side of his face (from below eye socket to jaw). It is opposite side of BOT tumor and opposite side of wisdom tooth extraction in 11/13.

In addition to chemo-induced neuropathy, which he has had all along, he recently developed numbness in part of one hand (same side as facial numbness), which a hand specialist diagnosed as atypical acute carpal tunnel. The orthopedist mentioned radiation as a complicating factor.

Does any of this sound familiar as possibly related to radiation damage? I don't remember these symptoms being discussed.

Hope others are having fewer side effects. The increasing list of problems, jaw and neck spasms, gum recession, hiccoughs ,etc., is becoming difficult for us to manage.
Lottie

I had the same TPF induction chemo in 2009, which hospitalized me for 6 months, paralyzed me from the waist down, blinded me, etc. I regained my ability how to walk again, like a baby, you just don't pop out of bed and walk, 10 months later, but have severe neuropathy in my legs, feet, hands since, and still some muscle loss, lost 110lbs, although I regained about 50lbs, and some muscle paralysis still in the calves, hamstrings, buttocks. I can't move my toes at all, feet in certain directions, and permamrntly blind in one eye. I take lyrica, but did take neurontin, aka Gabapentin, which helps somewhat, but don't like taking them during the day. Went to rehab a few times, and need to start my exercise again after my last treatment. These problems are all from chemo, in addition to the anemia, kidney disease, etc.

As far as radiation, they can cause problems too. Lymphdemia, Trismus, dysphasia, tooth loss, cavities. Then surgery, which was easiest out of all, caused fibrosis, lympdemia, muscle loss in neck, traps, chest, and arm raising on the side of surgery, coughing, aspiration.

Take it one at a time. When you think about them all, try to treat all at once it seems unmanageable. I set priorities, and deal with them separately, some not at all, although some fall into other areas as well.

Good luck with everything Lottie.

Paul, you are so right. It's overwhelming to deal with everything at once. Sometimes a few side effects calm down and quality of life improves again. You have certainly have had an unfair burden of complications.

Good news today - oral surgeon discharged my husband after HBOT and extraction. It is good for others to know that not all post-rad extractions lead to ORN. It's a horrible worry.

That's good news! I guess the time between radiation may matter, the dosage amount to the mandible, which have more cases of ORN than the upper jaw, and read the chances are small, maybe 1-3%, but it's horrific enough to be a concern. Not all doctors recommend HBOT these days, mine do, and is individually based. I'm treated in Manhattan, where they have three monthly SPOHNC support group meetings at different hospitals, and in LI, and Upstate also, which help, if ever interested.

http://www.spohnc.org/local_chapters.php