Hi Kaleigh - welcome to the family. We've all been through oral cancer either as a patient or as a caregiver so we have plenty of people who will help you get through this.

I expect they will want to do the jaw surgery and lymph node removal before starting radiation or chemo. But, of course none of that will likely happen until he regains strength and who knows how long that will take. Good nutrition and hydration will help him regain strength the fastest and that is something under your control, so concentrate on that right now. I hope he is cooperative as to nutrition. If he is not then ask about it here on the forum and talk to his doctors and nurses.

Outside of that there isn't a lot you can do right now except continue to educate yourself. The forum and the OCF website are both excellent sources of information. All of us were totally in the dark about cancer when first diagnosed, so we were all in the same place you are right now. In the beginning it was a steep learning curve for all of us, lots to learn in such a short time. But we all got through it and you will too. It just won't be easy and how receptive your father is to suggestion and advice will make it easier or harder as the case may be.

Of course you have to figure out how you can get the advice he is currently getting via his cell phone. Maybe the point of contact needs to be your phone instead of his, or he needs to be willing to turn his phone sideways so you can hear the phone calls too.

Of course you will need a spiral notebook or tablet to write down all they tell you/him and to write down the thousand questions you will think of over the next month or two. It's impossible to remember all of them. I had sections in my notebook for each doctor, a section for this forum, but perhaps most important of all is a section for the nurses. For me, their answers were most helpful.

It won't be easy, but you will get through this. We will help you do that.

Good luck

Tony