Hello sam and welcome.
Mayo clinic says "The ejection fraction may decrease when the heart muscle
has been damaged, such as due to:
   * Heart attack
   * Heart-muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
   * Heart valve problems  From:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ejection-fraction/AN00360
Heart valves problems and cardiomyopathy can be congenital; genetically
inherited. We know that from very healthy runners or sports people who
collapse suddently; no warning.  Other potential causes are mentioned here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiomyopathy
If it's a heart value problem, surgery, if possible must wait now.
Altering the chemo dose may work well for you as chemo can potentiate the
RT (effect and side effects).
It is very important that you get your teeth checked before starting
radiation therapy and if any invasive procedures are done to your teeth,
that antibiotics be given. Problem teeth need to be corrected before
starting radiation therapy. It is also important to have a fluoride tray
made for daily treatment so your teeth don't end up crumbling, in years
following treatment.

It is very positive to know that some of your salivary glands will not be
affected.
Araik was here, had nasopharyngeal cancer. His recent update was very
encouraging.
Many "head and neck'ers" also join the Head and Neck list at ACOR.
Please join them here later today, www.acor.org/mailing.html
and clicking on Alphabetical, then follow the instructions.
Their server is currently down, but try again later, or early tomorrow.
Get their advice and experiences.
Stay positive.  Most head and neck cancers are very curable.
I can't promise no side effects, but they'll help you through it.
Please keep in touch, with us, as you are able.
Reminder: the current priority is dental inspection and care, if
necessary, first.

There could be replies here to you as well.

Other questions?  The oncologist who helps on this newsgroup, currently
specializes in head and neck cancers, so ask your questions. Hopefuly he's
"lurking" - watching for questions only he might answer.

Take care and stay positive.  You will get through the treatment.  Then
healing takes time, but you will do it.
J

samgr8times@gmail.com fell face-first on the keyboard. This was the
result: news:c7e4c50e-cec4-491b-a0c4-
53e10805826a@v26g2000prm.googlegroups.com:

Hey Sam;

Sounds like you've got a pretty upbeat mental status about all this,
which is definitely a good thing :) I've got the pleasure of a malignant
paraganglioma in the jugular bulb - above and behind the right ear.
Discovered when they went in with an ice cream scoop and emptied most of
that out, including the ear canal in December.

Friday was my twentieth radiation treatment to the head via tomography
machine. (Big, radioactive donut). So far, so good; A little tired all
the time, but I'm still driving myself the 180 km each way. Lost my taste
buds last weekend (after the 15th treatment) - Makes eating a chore (Lots
of wet cardboard is what most food tastes like), but so far, I can still
taste sweet and bitter, so I'm still a coffee junkie. My tongue hurts,
but not to the point that it's unbearable.

I know it's not quite the same cancer as yours, as mine's a little
farther back in the head, closer to the brain than the naso-pharynx
region, but it's what I've gone through so far. I'd agree with keeping
the PEG as your call, personally, but that's a choice only you should
make. (I've been given the same option - Chose not to do it)

Keep strong and make sure to post any questions you have in here - This
newsgroup has been a wonderful source of support, information and
guidance for me.

Hi Sam, welcome to this group, and, if you are a Hindi speaker :
"Namaste-ji."

As Marc commented in his response to you, I congratulate you on what sounds
like a healthy attitude toward your condition and treatment. And I'm very
happy to hear you will be able to save your salivary glands on one side.

I am about one year out from what appears to be successful treatment by
chemo, radiation, imrt, etc. of a T2~T3, N1 or so squamous cell carcinoma of
the lower tongue.

I was not advised about the possibility of a PEG tube, and I did lose over
35 pounds, as I found it about impossible to eat. I got to the place where I
was getting dizzy every time I stood up, and actually passed out cold three
times, which was frightening. My body doesn't like opiates at all, so I
resisted any pain medication, but finally, during the most intense part of
the treatment, went on fentanyl patches for a month or so. They were quite
effective those patches, but I still had some "itching" reaction and a
feeling, at times, that I was "hyper."

Looking back now :  if I had to go through treatment again, I would not opt
for the PEG tube, unless my oncologist told me I would probably die without
it, but would use what I live on now which is a diet of soy-milk (UHT
treated) and Nestle's Nutren Optimum powder (to which I add coffee and
cardamom and star anise in the mornings).

Knowing what I do now, I would not let myself get so debilitated as I did, I
think. But at the time there were weeks when the very idea of food was
repulsive, and even water tasted like it was salty and oily. In other words
I was not given any really good nutritional advice (or did not hear it if I
was given it), and, hopefully, know better now.

I hope your side-effects may be less !  The location of my tumor meant that
IMRT was only used sparingly at the end of the radiation, and since IMRT has
a "narrower area of impact" (so I am told), perhaps you can be optimistic
about side-effects.

J., one of our resident and omni-present angels of information and mercy,
has already given you excellent advice about your teeth. You can search this
group on Google for a recipe for a simple mouthwash made with just distilled
water, baking soda, and salt, that is very helpful if you reach the point
where you have mucositis and painful inflammation.

best wishes, Uncle Sally

...is it possible

I would love to tell you that you have a chance of escaping side
effects, but with 38 IMRT's, you should be prepared for a lot of nasties.

Do see a dentist before the radiation treatments start. If you have any
teeth that are weak or mildly infected, they might have to come out as
dental problems in the midst of IMRT are something you don't want to
have to deal with.

I would not discount the PEG tube, but I'd wait a bit. I almost made it
through 30 treatments without one, but other complications arose and I
really needed one, but the complications made it impossible. You might
want to subscribe to the ACOR listserve

 http://www.acor.org/mlists/mlists.html

There are some very helpful folks there who know a lot about treating
side effects.

The side effects of H&N radiation are terrible. You have carefully
follow the doctor's directions and do the exercises and rinses
religiously. If they haven't sent you to a speech pathologist, do ask
for one. They need to get a pattern of your speech and swallowing before
the radiation and to check it several times during and after treatment
is over to make sure you don't have any residual swallowing problems.
There are complications with muscles that can arise years after the
radiation is over.

For many people the worst part of the radiation side effects happen in
the weeks after the last treatment.

The best thing I can tell you is that it will eventually get better.

Feel free to email me at this address whenever you wish. I'll try to be
supportive. Good luck.

On Apr 27, 4:08 pm, samgr8ti...@gmail.com wrote:

Hi dear friends,
Thanks for the info...that was real fast!
You all are right....the info available here is good and the support
is fantastic....glad i joined the group!
I have already gone through dental treatment and will heed to all
other advices......

Fitting PEG being not a major surgery, makes sense to go through
it..intend to use it as a back-up- if required, i dont have to go
through munching 'cardboard' food! I have been told that maintaining
good nutrition is a must and was cautioned about 'feeling faint and
dizzy' if the diet dropped. Since my CT started, have been gulping
down not less than 4 litres of water a day, keeping the insides well
irrigated (its summer time also here)! So, for the irrigation
department to work well, if need be, PEG should come in handy I
guess....
IMRT to commence from 6th of May and shall be taking weekly one dose
of chemo(CT) also......
oh, by the way, visited my cardio yesterday who has reduced my daily
heart medication...my EF has increased to 46 also and has told me not
to worry what so ever as everything looks ok as of now.....one less
headache!
Mean time, feeling good...relaxing.....etc......
bi for now
sam