I think you were reading my mind, as you posted I was researching the concept of nerve fiber regeneration, not related to cancer, but just in general. I have not been thru cancer, although I did work on a cancer unit as a medical professional. I can't speak about the cancer experience personally but some of our members can.

I found something that was enlightening about 'regeneration'. The entire websites are below.

I was going to post this anyway, as there is seems to be confusion about nerves regenerating, so, I wanted to see what I could find, then your post appeared.

I want to preface this with the comment, that your husband has been thru a tremendous ordeal, and has more issues in terms of his weakness and mobility than only neurological. He has critical illness myopathy, which means his muscles have degenerated just due to being that sick and immobile. Chemo is tough on nerves, but it is tough on everything, but many cancer patients recover remarkably from brutal chemo and radiation regimens. It appears that the docs are saying he has nerve tissue that is alive and functioning, and it will take time for that tissue to repair.

You can look to the 'Livestrong' info on the web, and to Lance Armstrong who survived some brutal cancer and chemo. I know members on here have also survived cancer and chemo, and are quite fiesty.

From what I found, nerve fibers, or parts of the nerve cell do regenerate, but the nerve cell once dead, does not regrow, luckily we have a lot of nerve cells. Muscle size and strength will improve as the muscles get worked over time. Functioning motor nerve cells will take on additional muscle innervation to compensate for dead motor nerve cells.

Interestingly, if a nerve cell that innervates a muscle fiber, or motor unit dies, that motor unit will likely be innervated by a working motor nerve cell with an axon, and branches of that motor axons near by...that existing nerve cell has to work overtime, but it does it. Myopathy does still occur, if there is not enough re-innervation, and the muscle cells can degenerate and die, but the body makes a good effort to innervate muscle to help us regain function. Nerve cells innervate bunches of muscle cells in varying places, and it works that way, so that if a nerve to one motor unit in one area dies, that whole area, still receives neural stimulation from other nerves coming in from other places. This is really ingenious, that the body is built like this. This process concerns motor neurons, and does not address sensory or autonomic neurons.

I was going to post a graphic but I could see it was overwhelming, but you can look up 'motor unit' and it will show you how muscle cells are innervated by nerves.

Nerve fibers are dendrites (or what you could call 'incomings'). I never heard of nerve fibers being referred to as dendrites. I just knew the receiving end of the nerve cell was a dendrite.....I never, in all my years, heard of that being called a 'fiber'. Dendrites connect to the cell body or soma and the 'outgoing' is the axon.

It is possible for nerve fibers, or dendrites, to regenerate IF the parent nerve cell, or soma, the actual nerve cell is alive. (Kind of like growing new fingers if the hand is alive).

"Peripheral nerves have the ability to regenerate, as long as the nerve cell itself has not been killed. Symptoms often can be controlled, and eliminating the causes of specific forms of neuropathy often can prevent new damage." It appears 'incomings' can regenerate....and in the case of motor neurons, healthy axons, can take on additional workload to innervate motor units.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/p...neuropathy.htm

Below is a source for what a nerve cell, versus nerve fiber looks like and a pretty comprehensive explanation of the nervous system.

http://www.biologymad.com/NervousSys...ystemintro.htm

I think if the doctors told you that healing can take place in two years, then that is what they feel is reasonable, and they must be basing this conclusion on data they have. It is very hard to predict. Every one is different, and it sounds like your husband has fought this disease courageously and with all he has got, so, he will likely fight as hard to regain his function. Two years probably sounds like a long way off, but remember, that function will return incrementally and slowly, he should improve day by day, and week by week, month by month. Healing takes time.

I wish you both strength and hope and the best in healing.