Anne, in re the taste issue... try not to be frightened by this. We're all different. We can surmise that you'll lose some sense of taste, but to what degree or in what direction is impossible to predict. For instance, for me water began to taste metallic and vaguely unpleasant. But other things, especially sweets, were fine.

I didn't use the magic mouthwash that many here speak of, but did rely on viscous lidocaine to numb the sores in my mouth and, theoretically, my throat. It got so bad that I had to hold the stuff in my mouth for up to 10 minutes to do any good. But then I'd always been susceptible to canker sores, so maybe I was more sensitive. Hard to say. In any event, although it may seem like forever, those side effects do go away!

I enjoyed your comment about surviving middle schoolers, btw. Great attitude!

Keep us posted.

David 2