Radiation Therapy For My Larynx Cancer

I have just found out from the hospital .. i have stage 1 cancer of the vocal chords and are planning a month of radio therapy . I have been told there will be a few side effects while i am having the therapy ..which will clear up soon after treatment has finished .

Could anybody who has had the same kind of treatment or knows of someone give me some feed back please

I am to be fitted with a half mask for the duration of the treatment ..i am a little concerned and worried about this procedure

Thank you

Linda

I didn't have larynx, I have tonsil. But there are many similiarites. I recently completed 35 radiation treatments, mask and all.

I was more worried about the stupid mask and being bolted down to not move then I was about the cancer. The mask turned out to be nothing. You can't move. But if you had to because you panicked, you can get out. You can reach the twist knobs and undo yourself. Plus they are watching you all the time so they'd be there in a second. Don't sweat that.

The radiation itself is nothing. The side effects can be bad. I lost 15 lbs. in one month. Eating/swallowing is difficult. Taste buds get destroyed, salivary glands can get killed off. Just ask your dr. or staff what to expect and they'll pretty much hit the nail on the head. We all go through them, the only question is how bad? Everyone is different.

Use your pain meds. Use your Magic Mouthwash, and keep swallowing no matter what.

Good luck, God Bless.

Rick

What Rick said....

Also, get some Aquafor lotion for your neck, the radiation will give you a nasty "sunburn" and the lotion will help the skin heal.

Best wishes and good luck with your treatment.

Mike

My husband tried a multitude of creams during rad therapy to the neck and head here is what worked for him when:

Biafine - early on for dry skin

Jeans Cream - for mid stage and post

Sulfadene Cream - for open wounds towards end and while burnt black skin is peeling off

One week post his skin is clear, just red.  He is using the Jeans cream, vitamin E oil and Eucerin in the tub.

Sounds scary and looks scary when you see the third degree looking burns.  Really, the skin didn't bother him that much.  A little itchy and slightly sore but he said tolerable.