Thanks to all of you. I already got fitted for the mask and will start treatment on May 3rd. Just got a call today that they want to do 2 rad treatments one day a week and one treatment the other 4. Does anyone know why they do this?

AM 07,

There are many variations to the typical IMRT radiation treatment cropping up. All are designed to kill our cancer quicker and give it less chance to recover. That is why they stress the importance of completing the Tx without delays. Some other examples of the different variations are 2 rads a day with 1/2 the rad each time for the normal 6 to 7 weeks and 1 rad a day with double the rad for 1/2 the normal number of weeks.

The flip side of trying to kill the cancer as quickly as possible is sparing the normal cells of excessive damage. This balancing act has the researchers experimenting with these new variations.

My Tx at Moffitt is different even now for new patients and I just completed mine 8 months ago.

Please have faith in your team and try your best to complete the whole Tx on their schedule.

I agree with so many other posters about this. The wait is absolutely the worst. Not having the information, or the experience makes you feel powerless. Even when I was sick during chemo and tired from the radiation, I felt like I had a plan, and I was following that plan.

Every day is a step forward...

Anne marie 07


Yup just like every one says ..waiting is the hardest part ..fear or the unknown. I had a hard time to with anxiety ..HOT BATHS for me..that and looking on here to learn as much as I could . My dr put me on Buspar too . however that dropped my blood pressure dangeroulsy low so I had to go off and opted not to try anything else.SOON you will begin and you anxiety may lessen due to the fact you will know what to expect and you will be Fighitng this horrible disease !

AM007 - It's true what Jeff says - about how your mind can just go to the worst that can happen instead of the best that could happen. Everyone reacts differently but the fact that some people do get through it with minimal side effects, also means it is possible for you to get through it the same way, too! Waiting is definitely the pits! the "Fighting" stage is SO much better and you are almost there. Hang in there and do whatever positive thing you can to get your mind concentrating on the positives coming your way.

Annette

How do you know if cancer is in your tongue? I keep getting a tingling in the right side of my tongue. The soreness of my throat is now moving to the back of my throat.

Am I even posting this in the right thread?

I do feel a bit better as I am starting to understand more.

I only meet my teem as I go alone. I meet them all at once rather quickly the first day I was there, and that scares me too

AM007 - Any information you can get will help you feel better and more in control so you can fight whatever comes along. Have you checked with your doctor about the tingling in your tongue? When you meet with your team, or appointment, it would really help if you did have someone go with you to absorb all the information they throw at you. When you are trying to think of everything, it's easy to miss a point. When my son had his initial appointments, there were three of us there with him and I remember one time, each of us (4) remembered something different about a particular point! Not only that, the scary stuff is a lot easier to take when it can be diffused among more than one person.

I have no one except my ex-husband who goes with me. I did buy a tape recorder so I can review all that's been said. The Treatment starts this tuesday, May 2, 2007

Anne-Marie 07- just remember that starting Tuesday your life is going forward. Stay strong, Lady. Amy in the Ozarks