Is he taking lysine? That can help, as can dilute peroxide or salt water rinses. There's also a lidocaine-based mouthwash his doctor can prescribe. It numbs the sores pretty thoroughly for long enough to eat something.

Of course, ice cream is good, but ice cream is good for all ailments.

I will pass on these recommendations. Thanks so much.

Ginger, how long do the sores last, generally?

His regimen is one week chemo/radiation, three weeks radiation, one week chemo/radiation. He's at the end of the first week. I think the chemo pump came out Tuesday.

I think mouth sores are probably hardest to deal with for esophageal and mouth cancers, since there's also radiation aimed at the area. They probably gave him mouth-care instructions. Really diligent (and by diligent, I mean obsessive) mouth care is the best prevention, but he's probably going to have a bad time. He may have a week to 10 days in which the sores have healed before the next round of chemo. There is evidence that holding ice in the mouth during chemo reduces mouth sores, but that's not really practical with a chemo pump. He still may want to try to sucking ice chips when he can.

As I tell everyone, he needs to really communicate with his doctors every symptom. Too many cancer patients act as if suffering is mandatory.

Sigh.

That's what I was afraid of. Thank you so much for the insight. I'll pass along the ice chip idea too. It's been so cold, and he's so thin...I just hope the warm broth helps somehow.

Ginger, you are such a Godsend! I think about how often we turn to you for advice on so many matters.

Ginger, you are such a Godsend! I think about how often we turn to you for advice on so many matters.

Totally this.

My friend going through treatment for mouth cancer is in a bad place, because nothing will stay down. So I would feel any thing that stays down is good. and straws seem like a good ida, because nothing tastes good .

Ginger, you are such a Godsend! I think about how often we turn to you for advice on so many matters.

So true.

There's so much bullshit in the world. And then there's the antidote, which turns out to be Ginger.

Hubby talked to the people who are going to do the final stage bone marrow work after all the chemo is done. This is smacking us with how dire this particular cancer is. They're going to pull out his bone marrow, manipulate it, and put it back in. Durint that time, he will be in Salt Lake, at the cancer center, in total isolation. For five weeks. A living will needs to be on record before they even start it. Once they put it back in, they'll see if it kills him and if his immune system comes back.

The cat is going to hate me.

I guess I'll be firing up the webcam a lot later this spring. And figuring out how to sterilize his computer.

Most parts of a computer will survive rubbing alcohol. Don't know how complete it is as a sterilizing agent.