Your support staff and doctors will hopefully prep you for much ahead of time. I think it was gary who posted a really good list of things to have on hand before you needed them, but I can't find it now. it dealt with things like pain meds before they were needed, laxatives, which the pain meds will cause you to need, and much more. Gary if you read this, could you put up your "get ready list" again?

Well the original post was a request for dental information but here's the rest of the stuff you should have "pre-positioned". If you really need these and you don't have them on hand - you will be making a trip to the ER to get them, which usually always seems to happen either at night or on the weekend.

1. Anti-emetics - several different ones and compazine suppositories are a great idea as well.

2. Anti-acids, like Pepcid AC

3. Laxatives and stool softeners like Colace

4. Thrush medications like Diflucan and/or Nystatin "swish & spit"

5. "Pink Magic" a compound mixed by the pharmacist with morphine and lidocaine for numbing the mouth - essential for eating and drinking orally with mouth sores

6. Narcotics - long term and short term
- "long" for everday pain such as Duragesic patches or Oxycontin
- "short" for breakthrough pain such as morphine sulphate.

7. Topical lotions for radiation burns like "Radiacare" - some RT departments have samples of this they will give you.

Insure the skin is dry and clear of all lotions before actually receiving your daily RT. Some lotions can have a "bolus" effect where they actually enhance the skin damage.

I don't know if this was mentioned to you or not yet, but getting fitted for dental protection trays is also important before you start treatment. Was a peg tube also mentioned? I waited to long because of stupidity and almost died of dehydration over a weekend. DON'T wait get it done prior to feeling exhausted and in pain. Maria G

New here (ok, returning from a few years ago)...

my Mother in law (lives with us) was just diagnosed with her 2nd round of oral cancer.. first time was 6 yrs ago on the top of her mouth/sinus area. It took nearly 3 yrs to get her dental implants to the point where she could begin to think about eating something other than boost when she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer (another primary). Just today she was diagnosed again with oral, this time near the corner of her lip. Frankly, her mouth has been a mess for a few years now, she is tube fed and has been for 3 yrs and is so fed up with it all.

We are waiting now on her appt with the radiology oncologist (her ENT does not think surgery is a good option for her at this point, especially given the condition of her mouth already). In the meantime, I am trying to get my ducks in order... would getting her seen asap by her prosthodontist be the next step? Her lower implants are screwed in semi-permanently, and the uppers she can remove on her own.

Because I have a special needs child I really have to plan ahead as much as possible. He is TPN and GT fed and we have to travel for his medical care at least a few times a year (coming up the end of october through mid november), so planning is essential to make sure everyone is taken care of appropriately.

Any suggestions on planning would be most helpful... I do have a call in to her regular onco doc as well, hoping maybe he can give us some insight on what this means and what to expect with regards to how well he expects her to get through treatment, assuming she decides to. She is considering not, so if you can give thoughts regarding what would happen if she chooses not to treat that would also be appreciated..

thanks a bunch,

heidi

Dear Heidi, what a challenge for your family! While I can't speak to the issues above[other than appreciate your mother-in-law wanting to be able to make her own choice]I do hope the best for you all. Amy