Nate

I'm not in the young crowd demographic you mentioned you are trying to help. I'm certainly to old to wear a baseball cap backwards (Actually I don't even wear baseball hats anymore, but Australian Outback type hats). What type of surgery did you have, since you look really unscathed in the video?
although I started off clean shaven, I did end up with a beard like yours since I couldn't shave during the radiation. The month after TX, all the skin on my face gradually fell or peeled off removing the beard but I'm pretty sure that was a result of the Erbitux chemo.
Just a heads up that depending on the field of your radiation, future beards may be at risk. I sport a nice handlebar mustache now, but the lower half of my jaw & chin is perfectly smooth and hairless forever. Just another joy of radiation, the gift that keeps on giving.
Sorry to hear that most of your friends "bailed out on you", but that's pretty common. You have the right attitude to win this. Keep the Faith
Charm