Welcome to OCF. Reconstructive surgery is not anything that can be compared to what your mother experienced with chemo and radiation. Ive had many surgeries done and have found it to be much easier than chemo/rads. Of course everyone is different but reconstructive surgery really is something easy to recover from. Most radiation patients find healing is slower after having radiation treatments. Make sure you get a second opinion before agreeing to any other treatments. A large cancer center would be the best place to get the 2nd opinion.

Often hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO) are recommended to speed healing. This type of treatment is very simple. Ive done 125 of them and found it to be one of the easiest things I have gone thru. Usually patients go thru alot less, maybe about 30 or 40.

It is very common for oral cancer patients to become depressed during or after treatments. Radiation can be very difficult, many of us struggle. If your mother seems to stay depressed for more than a couple weeks it would be a good plan to seek out a therapist or doctor. She may need the help of anti-depressants to get past her treatments. It will take several weeks until your mother begins to bounce back after finishing radiation. I hope as time goes on she pulls out of this and begins to look forward to a bright future. We have seen many patients in their 70s successfully battle oral cancer and its after effects.

Best wishes!