His Radiation Was Worse Than Yours - My Whiny Post

I will try to keep my whiny venting brief.

When people find out that Brian is having radiation for cancer treatment, they sometimes share a personal or family story of radiation.  I understand the desire to share, to bond, to help us know we aren't alone, others have tread this way before.  Having watched Brian go through the side of effects of radiation to his lower jaw and neck, I feel irritated when people tell me how a loved one worked every day through it, or how it wasn't that bad.  Getting your breast or prostate irradiated is lousy, I'm sure.  Getting your mouth and neck irradiated is horrendous.

The radiation damage in the mouth and neck causes swelling and pain that begins a couple weeks in.  Over time the lining of the mouth begins to ulcerate.  The muscles of the jaw and neck become inflamed.  Every movement of the mouth to speak or chew causes pain.  Every bit of food into the mouth causes pain.  Every swallow of anything causes pain.  And the radiation damages the nerves of the tongue, causing loss of taste.

Brian loves to talk and Brian loves to cook and eat.  Radiation took both away.  He lays in bed exhausted and silent with the whir of the feeding pump in the back ground.  All I can do is look on and keep his medications renewed.

So forgive me if I am not uplifted by your story of radiation treatments being bad but manageable.  Here they are horrible.  But like everyone else, we will get through this too.

Rant off.