On 5/29/2013 12:13 AM, Cheri wrote:
> "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
> eb.com...
>> On 5/28/2013 6:42 PM, Todd wrote:
>>> On 05/27/2013 06:37 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>>> I can no longer eat hot jalepenos
>>>
>>> Old trick. If the heat gets to you, rinse your mouth out
>>> with a handful of salt.
>>
>> Thanks, Todd. I can't eat any hot peppers due to having had half of
>> my tongue removed because of cancer. The radiation treatments
>> effected my taste buds and left my mouth very sensitive even though
>> the radiation was well over 6 years ago.
>> The salt would just kill me.
>
> I didn't know that Janet. I'm curious, were you a smoker? My BIL is
> going through something similar and had surgery today to have cancerous
> tonsils removed, and a cancerous lymph node. Were your tonsils involved
> as well?
>
> Cheri
Yes. I had been a smoker but had quit about 8 years before the cancer.
I lost my tonsils when I was 5 so there was no involvement.

If they are recommending radiation treatments for your BIL, HE MUST get
to either Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC, Johns Hopkins in Maryland or
MD Anderson in Houston. Head and neck radiation needs a specialized
support team including an oncological dentist, speech therapists (mostly
for swallowing issues), and others. My DH's cousin had treatment for
tonsil cancer at Dana Farber, a major Boston hospital, and he lost all
of his teeth because they did not advise him of the special care and
need for fluoride trays.

Radiation kills off salivary glands and the absence of saliva causes
teeth to disintegrate. Most hospitals don't provide a mouth guard to
protect at least one salivary gland. There are dentists who specialize
in dealing with the effects of radiation but they are hard to find
outside of the three centers I mentioned.

I would not disrespect any hospital for cancer treatment, but when it
comes to head and neck cancer and radiation, the three hospitals I
mentioned are THE ONLY ones. Any radiation center can do the protocol,
but only a few have the specialized support teams needed. I'm really
serious.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.