Like Gary, my husband only had radiation in combination with chemo for his stage III tonsil and floor of mouth cancer. I read the posts here and am very uplifted, but find it frustrating that we seem to be in the minority. I would like to be able to compare notes with those who have not had surgery and how they are doing. This is in no way meant to exclude anyone enduring this disease, but we sometimes feel lost when the treatments weren't the same. I know I tend to wonder whether I can compare the two treatments at all when it comes to prognosis, weight loss, etc. Your thoughts would be so appreciated. My husband is 5 months out of radiation and 6 weeks out of lung surgery. He is still losing weight and will go for days without eating and sleeping around the clock. Can you help me determine if this is normal.
Thank you so much,
Mandi

Hi Mandi,
We (the chemo/rad treatment regime patients) are the minority as far as my research on this site has revealed. Many are given the option and take the more severe route, i.e., surgery + chemo/rad. My doctors advised me that my odds would be the same either way and that actually complications in surgery could actually increase my morbidity. There is no guarantee that I won't have to have "salvage surgery" somewhere down the road. I can't eat sometimes, but I have a robust appetite and I sleep well - 7-8 hrs every night. I nap occasionally during the day. Hope this helps a little.

Hi Mandi,

Please know you have found a great group of people here.

Your questions are good ones, remember that most of the people here are not medical doctors just family and people going through the same life event.

From your post there is one thing that I am very concerned about and that is your husband not eating for days. I think you should talk with his medical doctor and do something about making sure he is getting his necessary nutrition. You can't get healthy if your body dosn't have enough to work with.

Also while you are talking with the doctor ask about a Thyroid function test. It is a simple blood test and could be part of why he is so tired. The Thyroid can be affected by the radiation treatments and a simple pill a day will help if he has a thyriod problem.

Keep us posted

Hi Mandi,
I also belong to the 'minority' group you refer to. Since I am not a doctor, it is difficult to comment whether your husband's condition is normal or not. To me the radiation and chemo have a rather long effect on tiredness but like Gary, I did have a good appetite very soon after finishing treatment even though the taste is never the same and swallowing sometimes hurts.The thyroid test may be useful but when I was in depression last April and felt extremely tired and indifferent to everything around, the doctor did a blood test on my thyroid. Well, the result turned out that it was absolutely normal. So tiredness may not be a result of thyroid problem. Don't worry about not having a surgery done on your husband because the doctor knows the best whether a patient needs one or not.I was not given surgery initially due to the very large size of the tumors but my oncologist never said that I could skip this. I was lucky that follow up tests did not show active cancer cells and so surgery was not necessary. I was very closely watched by my doctor during the first year with a montly appointment. Stepping into the second year, it is a bi-monthly check.

Karen stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/01.