Tim's last radiation is Monday, thank God. I know the next few weeks will be difficult, but my specific question is regarding his neck burns. Will those actually get WORSE over the next few weeks? As it is, his neck looks like it's been through a meat grinder. We're using silvadene cream, which works to a point. But if it gets much worse we're going to need to do something else.

Also, how about the nausea? Once the chemo is out of his system (last treatment was this past Wednesday) will the nausea end? He's on zofran and ativan (compazine doesn't work for him) but still he vomits. He's lost 25 pounds WITH the feeding tube!

Thanks, everyone.

Wendy,25 pounds is not too bad, all things considered. Of course, I don't know where he started. I lost about 35 myself, but let's just say I had some spare poundage that I could bear to part with.

I did not have a big problem with Nausea, just a little from the Amifostine. But it should abate fairly quickly once the cocktail of drugs abates. I did not have acute burns, but my neck became a bit more tender over the week or 10 days following the end of treatment, then turned the other direction.

Glad he is almost finished! Thoughts are with you.

Wendy,

I didn't have the Peg and I was as fit as anyone could have been going into the Tx and I couldn't afford to loose 5 pounds. I lost 35 pounds and looked like crap. Felt worse. Nausea was my worst side effect and it was probably all my fault because nothing worked for me pain pill wise without causing nausea so I didn't keep much down and that made matters far far worse. I finally stopped all pain meds and swallowed through the pain but at least the nausea got better. Three weeks post Tx I walked out of my dark tunnel and all turned better.

I really never suffered and facial burning so I can't help you there.

God, three weeks sounds like FOREVER when I see how awful Tim is feeling right now. :-((

Wendy- My husband's neck looked like that for about a month. Even now if he is in the sun(w/o sunscreen) he gets redder in that area. Hang in there-it will get better.

Sue

I never had nausea but did have neck burns and some on my jaw where it would ooze nasty looking stuff out. It cleared up after a few days when I didn't get rads or chemo anymore. But I did use aloe and aquaphor. As for weight I lost 70 lbs because I could't eat and still can't but am back up to 165. Wendy tell Tim he will come out a winner. He has a great caregiver it seems.

Wendy

it's been 33 years since I left Pittsburgh but one year ago with 18 more radiations to go, my neck (front and back) , throat, upper shoulder and cheeks were bright red and raw. The doctors said they had never seen such an extreme reaction to Erbitux and radiation. Patients starting out but sitting in the waiting room actually asked me: "Will I look that bad?" None of the creams or salves worked. What did provide real relief was applying the Vigilon gel burn dressings. My wife had to get them from a medical supply store, but they were a godsend. We kept them in the refrigerator and they were so cool and soothing plus when you changed them, the oozing dead skin stuck to the gel but did not tear away at my skin causing bleeding like the gauze alone had done. That's when I had to up the pain meds to two fenatyl patches plus 10 oxycodene a day. Showers were impossible. Just because TX is over, don't let the doctors back off on pain management. It was no big deal to wean off the dope.
Now all that skin has healed perfectly: no mottling, no hardness and even a stubble of beard on the cheeks. (the neck is perfectly hairless so less shaving time). While everyone is different, if my extreme case could heal, your husband's should also. It didn't actually get worse after TX over, it just seemed like it since I thought there would be instant improvement once the burn and poison was done. Instead it stayed achingly the same for about two weeks, but then got better every day. Hang in there: you've crossed the finish line but just like the runners in a race don't all pile up and crash there, you have to keep moving to the rest area even though you are both tired. so the short answer to your question is : Not soon enough - but soon.

Wendy,

Good news....If he's like most of us he will NEVER have to shave under his chin again. Saves time and materials. That's the CPA in me.

Wendy, sorry to hear your husband is struggling right now. The end and first 2/3 weeks aftr tx ends are the worst times. It will be better very soon.

Keep loading the cream onto your husband. Dont rub it in, just smooth it on and let it soak in. No matter how bad it looks, you will be surprised at when he is healed at how good it can look.

With everything your husband has gone thru, only losing 25 pounds is great. Keep pushing the fluids and nutrition so he hangs onto his weight.

Hang in there, its almost over.

I have never stopped shaving or getting hair cuts. In fact I think the hair is thicker than before. Back to using a razor and shaving cream again. I am lucky in a lot of ways and unlucky in others. Yep, we are all different.