Mark, congrats on a successful surgery! Best wishes with your recovery!

The better your nutrition and hydration, the easier it will be for you to get thru rads. I cant stress the importance of nutrition and hydration enough, it can mean being hospitalized for malnutrition and dehydration (like I was). Not everyone struggles! Some sail right thru it fairly easily. As patients, we always get apprehensive about the unknown its only natural to fear the unknown.

Anyone who offers to help, write down their name and number and tell them when the time comes you will let them know what they can do to help.

Go to the dentist for a full check up including having flouride trays made.

Get a full blood count including thyroid.

Work hard at your recovery. Push yourself to eat everything you can and then take a few more bites. Its very important to try to build yourself up before starting rads. High protein whey powder mixes easily into most drinks and will help you heal faster.

Stay busy so you dont worry.

Good luck!!!

Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile