Part 3
Week 4
Only 4 radiation treatments (off for Christmas)
1 cisplatin chemotherapy treatment (30); blood test showed low magnesium so magnesium added to IV during chemotherapy session
2 hydration sessions
NavDX blood test on Day 20 of treatments

I ask for sonogram to guide technicians/nurses into my veins for chemotherapy and hydrations sessions. Started asking after two successive events where it took 4 tries to get the needed insertion to do the job.
Asked for “Magic Mouthwash” (lidocaine, Benadryl, etc) prescription as the throat/tongue pain becoming more noticeable, but still manageable. To date, have never used this Magic Mouthwash.
Also, doctors detected some Thrush on tongue and mouth lining. Started Fluco-something to treat the Thrush. 2 weeks/one pill daily. Thrush eliminated after 14 days but still got some mucotosis? Did a lot of mouth washing with the salt/baking soda combo; no use of Magic Mouthwash. Please consider gargling a lot. I got a sore on the side of my tongue that has remained for a couple of weeks and it hurts. I can only imagine if I had multiple sores which I know some people have experienced. I am so sorry for them as the additional pain of the sores on top of throat/swallowing pain is very real, I am sure.
Initiated Extra Strength Tylenol use when warranted for pain.
Realized during this week that I was losing taste. Gradually became a loss of all taste altogether by end of Week 4.
I had the 4 week blood test using NavDX on the day of my 20th radiation treatment. Test examines a specific biomarker for the SCC HPV-16 type. Target was to see if the biomarker was eliminated from my blood. Took 6 days for results during which time I continued with another 5 radiation treatments and 1 more cisplatin chemotherapy session.

Week 5
4 radiation treatments (New Years Day off)
1 cisplatin radiation treatment (30); blood test showed low magnesium so magnesium added to IV during chemotherapy session
2 hydration sessions

Noticeable increase in pain in throat/swallowing; no avoiding it. Taste totally gone.
I love the radiation machine as I get in it and focus on the rays destroying my tumors. Staff plays Bruce Springsteen for me every session (I have seen him approximately 70 times). I close my eyes and listen to The Boss. Did not open eyes once during any session.
Even a well-chewed banana burns my throat at this point. Now it is tough to force the swallowing of any fluids and food, even when food is chewed up to a mush. Have to wash every mouthful down with a fluid, and that still hurts. This sucks but has to be done.
Note: I was trying to get down to 200 pounds before my diagnosis. And I had done so. But upon diagnosis and hearing about the likelihood of having difficulty eating during treatments, the docs gave me license to add some weight before starting treatments. I started treatments at 205. By radiation session #28, I was down to 184; a 21 pound loss or slightly over 10%. The staff and nurses had said during instructions about the treatments that they preferred to see only a 5% loss. This weight loss is manageable to me as I intend to use my low body mass index to build a stronger, more fit body when the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy are all gone.