As far as side effects I think my mother has only mild ones. She can get diareha (sp?).Sometimes she will get a little pimple like spot on her face and she sometimes experiences fatigue and she has pretty severe appetitie loss but not sure if that is the cancer or Tarceva. Also, i do not know if the tarceva did this or the steroids or what but she had some very strange growth of facial hair that seems to be subsiding.
I will definately get the smoothie recipe from my dad - he modifies it from time to time since my mother really does not like it but we really coax her to keep drinking - I know it is not something she looks forward too.
lets see i will try to answer your other questions...
my mother is 70. We live in the Seattle area. she has cancer in the lung with what was initailly a large number of mets to the spine and skull. The cancer had actually busted her spine up a bit and also cracked her rib. Her cough was never that bad, not a lot of mucous.
All cases are individual so perhaps let your mother know that Peter Jennings is not her and her road might be quite different. I will definatly talk to my mom about being contacted. She might be shy about talking about this but I think it would be great for her as well.
I think my mother was initially on an appetite booster drug for awhile - you may want to ask your oncologist about this.