I was also a Stage IV tonsillar cancer with some lympnodes malignent. I took 7 weeks of chemo once a week and 7 weeks of radiation once a day. When I got done no cancer showed on the pet scan. I also refused the feeding tube and went from 240 to 180. I`m now 19 months out and weigh 216.
I have little taste and almost no saliva. I am trying still to adjust to that. It has changed my personality for the worse and family and friends don`t like being around me.
Be patient with your husband and remember only another patient like him can and will ever know what he has gone thru physically and emotionally.
He will survive this. I was wounded and fought like hell in Vietnam and it was nothing compared to this battle. He might as well know the 3 weeks after completeing treatment is the worst time. He has to feel he wants to kick this cancers ass and don`t let it beat him.
I took treatment with 2 other stage 4`s and 1 of us 3 still had cancer after treatment. It was smaller and they removed his nodes. Many have surgery after. Some doctors do it to make sure. Some don`t.
I went to a great team of doctors at the University of Michigan.
Please email me with questions. You will have many. I hope he is taking Ensure daily. Get strawberry only. I have spent thousands trying to figure out what I can eat and drink to survive the last 19 months so ask me questions.
Tell him good luck and pray everynight. Then get up and burn that cancer`s ass.
Ron in Michigan