Yes to Chemo; Radiation Treatment #2

Highlights of yesterday, today....

1) Check out Matt at his new home-away-from-home: the radiation therapy center at Methodist. Tah-dah! The second treatment went okay. He was able to adjust his flouride trays - and Dr. Doogie prescribed something for the nasal drip so that hopefully will be better..and the mask is what it is. Matt is really tired - feeling a bit out-of-it - today after treatment...Hard to know if it's been the week (stressful, not a lot of sleep) or the radiation - we'll let you know.

2) Given the extra-capsullary + size of node + positive margins, radiation-plus-chemo is the final agreement around treatment of this cancer. Matt's first chemo session will be on Monday. He will have three sessions, concurrent with radiation: the first on Jan. 18, the second Monday, Feb. 8 [THIS IS A CORRECTION] and the final one will be the final week of radiation - March 1 (final radiation treatment will be March 5, god willing).

3) We learned all sorts of interesting new things about chemo. The drug will be Cisplatin...He may lose some hair (so today he got a "chemo haircut" and damn, he looks fine!) but it won't be permanent...He may have nausea but the chemo team will be working hard to prevent that so he is already prescribed all sorts of amazing anti-nausea drugs....Fatigue and the other key radiation side effects (such as dry mouth and, the potentially 'worse' mucositis/inflammation of the mouth and neck tissues) will be exaggerated - but so much depends on Matt's body so it's hard to call it. There are two really bad potential side effects we will be watching for: neuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet) and kidney problems - but Matt is in such good shape, and he will have blood checks every week so those possibilities while out there, are HOPEFULLY nominal.

4) We have an appointment with a nutritionist next Wednesday, FYI. Food and nutrition will be SO important. Cathy's foodie-friends (you know who you are): I'll be in contact....

So that is it for today....More later this weekend or after the first chemo treatment...