Hi, Sharon -

I, too, had a maxillectomy/palatectomy last May, and radiation and chemo after that. I'm almost six weeks out of treatment now. The obturator is something you'll get used to, and the pain will eventually subside, but all of this takes time -- maybe more time than you had planned on! I'm just getting to the point where my radiation site is not painful anymore, and the obturator is becoming second-nature. At first, food and drink all came out my nose, but with adjustments by the prosthodontist and time, that has pretty much ended now. The daily care of the obturator and surgical site is a chore, but that, too, becomes habit. Take care of yourself -- drink plenty of Ensure or Boost, make yourself smoothies (I do one with Boost, frozen bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, and protein powder!), and rest assured that with time you will heal and grow used to the obturator. I'm happy to answer any questions or just listen if you want to vent! Do look up Colleen's posts ("August") -- she was incredibly supportive and helpful to me in the first couple of months after my surgery. You have much support here -- keep posting whenever you need a connection!

Hang in there!