Please could I have some advise from you girls, and guys! re best external protection for severely radiiated necks during the winter months. Should it be a silk scarf or a soft wool one? Starting my treatment 10/11/2004 at St Thomas' London. My e-mail address is sr_platt@hotmail.com I would love some local contact/support from fellow endurers!!

srp, hello whatever you find the most comfortable to you. I used them both. Still do. Have every color you could possibly think of. LOL. Always, Vicki

Well my favourites are silk and also silk velvet in winter. I find the things that irritate are not scarves which are loose and not restrictive but usually labels in the back of sweaters so I cut them out. Also necks that are too high are out. I wear scoop neck tops or similar and now cannot ever wear fine wool polo neck or turtle neck high stands. I prefer wool, but polo necks irritate, although I can wear acrylic ones for about 2 hours I find acrylic garments not to my taste.

My advice is keep to at least a crew neck or lower neckline and wear your scarf for extra coverage of the bronchial area as we are prone to infection there.

There are some new scarves on the market in UK called Magic scarves. These are a very soft knitted tube and can be worn as a regular scarf or opened up as a tube put over the head like a loose cowl. They are exceptionally soft and Per Una in Marks and Spencer sell them - I bought one last week. Other major department stores have them.

I will see if I can find the item number of one as I expect you could uy it online now they sell peruna online.

Thanks Pauline for your advice think I'll drag hubby to M&S tomorrow.
Sue

Sorry srp I misread that yesterday. I would say that if you are about to have treatment the lightest of fine silk scarves will be best.

You could have the others on hand too. You won't have nearly the same problems with sun though at this time of year as I had in a very sunny September 2 years ago.

You will also need to avoid being near the heat of a cooker as that makes you feel unconfortable. I am still not keen on cooking for more than about 15 minutes at a time these days as it just throws me getting too burny warm on the face. So anyone living in your house will have to help feed themselves. Make sure they know this now and maybe if they are inept show them how to do a few things before your taste is zapped.

I do wish you good luck. Not everyone gets as burned as I was, just cream a lot and drink lots of water all day - about 6 pints starting early on.

Silk is the best, but also all natural products like cashmere, I always wear a pashmina to go out, and when it was hot a fine cotton scarf.A friend of mine who has a hole in her neck always wears pretty scarves knotted in a floppy bow, much nicer than the sort of bib look.
Be Lucky

The Per Una scarf number on the bill is 05852710T62. The T62 is not usually needed. ino longer have the scarf label that was on it as I have cut it off already. Hate visible labels on things.

It seems though according to M and S site to have sold out as I did mention this last week as a fashion item I bought on my fashion-era forum.