SCC moved to lymph node - radiation advice

Hello -
I'm new but I've been dealing with this since November 2011. Got a sore that didn't heal - saw the doc within 7-10 days of it to get antibiotics - just figured it was infected - she didn't want to touch it - sent me to dermatologist who did biopsy. BTW, it was on my left temple. It was SCC, so I was scheduled for Mohs surgery - did that and after 2nd surgery was all removed with clean margins but the tissue was very inflamed and he said their was nerve invasion and the tumor was very aggressive. From the time it was biopsied at the derm. offc. to the time of the mohs surgery, it grew back 2x or more the original size and looked like a donut on my head. They sent me home with an open wound on my head and the next week I had a skin graft. One month later got radiation treatments for 6 weeks. No real side effects other than sunburn but that should be ending 3/3/12. In the meantime, they do all these tests and find on the pet scan 2 suspect areas in front of my left ear - I go in for biopsy in the hospital and it comes back malignant. It is in my preauricular lymph node. Now they have made a mask that will hold my head taut on the radiation table and say that this radiation will go to all lymph nodes in my head and neck (CT scan was done to see exactly where it all is). This radiation is much more invasive and I just found out Friday that I will lose a good chunk of hair on that side - not saying if it will grow back - will have sore throat and possibly sores in mouth - got dental completed with flouride- said I will probably feel fatigued and have weight loss. Since this is so much different than the original radiation treatments, I was wondering what to expect. We have not started yet on the head and neck radiation - still only on my temple but I'm guessing I'll start tomorrow 2/28/12. I'm 51 female almost 52 and have been healthy my whole life - BUT my 2 younger brothers and both of my parents have had forms of skin cancer - never spreading. One brother even had a melanoma. Yes, were were always on the lake, boating, fishing, swimming, skiing, tubing and I will be the first to admit very stupid about the sun my whole life . Does anyone have any input? Did you have to get a wig? Did it spread further? Is it common to have radiation for cancer that cannot be seen like this or do you normally see surgery performed? What do you do for radiation burn? How bad are the side effects?
Cathy