Welcome to OCF! Looks like you and your husband went from being ok to a whirlwind of appointments and right into treatment. Speed is good but there are many things that should be done before he starts rads. You have found the very best online resource to help both you and your husband get thru his treatments and recovery. We have been there and know how difficult it can be, we completely understand where you are coming from.

Prior to starting or any surgery, your husband should have gotten a thorough dental check up and flouride trays made. Any teeth that arent in the best shape should have been pulled before rads started as there could be problems doing so after rads. Also strict attention to always being diligent with brushing and flossing his teeth several times daily is very important. A waterpik is a great tool to help get in between teeth. Use the waterpik on its lowest setting with nonalcoholic mouthwash mixed with warm water.

He also should have gotten a full blood work up including thyroid and testosterone levels. Its not easy to get these levels after everything has started so I hope his physicians have done these tests already.

As I tell all new members who are getting prepared to begin treatments, focus only on what is within your control... intake, pain management, etc. Avoid all the speculating as much as possible, anything that starts with "what if" should be avoided and focus on more positive things. If your husband is able to eat, encourage him to have all his favorites now and to keep eating as long as he can. Even with having a feeding tube already he still must continue to swallow every day even if its only small sips of water. Eating spicy and hard to eat things like steaks, ribs, Mexican foods, etc may become almost impossible to eat during and after rads. Most patients lose significant amounts of weight during their treatments. Usually the doctors have a goal of no weight loss (even if the patient is overweight). By losing weight, it means they arent taking in enough calories. Even 2000 or 2500 calories a day isnt enough for some patients, they need 3000, 3500 or more. This higher intake must be done every single day even if its difficult to achieve, it is vitally important. Those who skip a day or two here and there quickly fall into a viscous cycle of playing "catch up" and "I'll do better tomorrow". But tomorrow never comes and catching up never seems to happen. I was one of those and ended up hospitalized for malnutrition and dehydration several times. Your husband can get extra hydration a few times a week in the chemo lab with a prescription from his radiation oncologist. This will instantly make him feel better so I would definitely recommend getting that script so he has a standing order to get fluids.

Try to line up some drivers to help traveling back and forth to rad treatments. The American Cancer Society has a volunteer driver program that might be available. Anyone who offers to help, let them know when the time comes you will contact them. Write down their name and number and reach out for help if you need a hand. There are a million small things that can add up to making treatments and recovery much easier. Even caregivers need help to get a break once in a while. So please be smart and take good care of you too. Set aside some free time to get away to do your own things to give you a breather to catch your breath.

Pay close attention to any changes in your husbands hearing. Make sure to immediately pass this along to his medical oncologist. Do NOT get another dose of cisplatin if he notices any change no matter how slight, even if its only a humming or low buzzing noise. Cisplatin is known to cause permanent hearing loss. It cant be corrected which is why it is so important to let the doctor know so they can change the type of chemo to avoid having any further hearing issues.

Best wishes with everything!!!