Steve, welcome to OCF! Im very sorry that you need our group but we will help you get thru your battle and recovery. Stick with us and we will give you info and support.
I also lost all my teeth due to OC. Radiation damaged them so badly they had to be removed. I know its not easy to eat without teeth but try your very best to eat as much as possible, especially having all your favorites before you begin treatments.
During rads and for at least the first year after finishing you need to take in a minimum of 2500 calories daily and 48-64 oz of water. If you can do more, say 3000 or even 3500 calories, that will only help you get thru it easier. During rads most patients begin to struggle to take in enough. I cant stress enough how important it is to hit those minimums every single day. By skimping one day it will quickly turn into a routine of playing catch up which in reality will never happen. Ive been there and ended up hospitalized a few times for malnutrition and dehydration. At the treatment center your doc can write you a prescription to get extra hydration a few times a week in the chemo lab. This will greatly help you to stay hydrated and feel much better.
Rinsing with seltzer water, using a waterpik on its lowest setting and continuing to rinse with baking soda, salt and 16 oz of warm water all will help as well. Some members have found relief with gargling with seltzer water.
Make sure that anyone who offers their assistance you write down their name and number. Tell them when the time comes you will contact them. There will be a million little things that can help make this easier. Dont be shy, people really do want to help so let them pitch in. If it were someone you knew, Im sure you would want to help them.
Here is a recipe for something I used to make and drink when I went thru treatments. The shake has anywhere from 1200-2000 calories depending on how you make it. The list of foods might help too, they mostly have a smoother texture and arent spicy which should be easier to tolerate.
Easy to Eat Food List (All measurements are estimates)
Giant High Calorie Choc-Peanut Butter Milkshake3 or 4 cups chocolate ice cream (regular/full fat type)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth type)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 or 2 cups whole milk (can substitute half and half to add even more calories)
1 scoop carnation instant breakfast
1 scoop high protein whey powder (check with doc if this is ok)
Blend this extra long to make it very smooth and creamy so it goes down easier. If the shake is too thick, add more milk to thin it down to what works best for you.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot prior to your rads, get a full blood panel including thyroid and testosterone levels. This is very important to get a baseline so your docs know what your normal levels are. After rads many of us have thyroid issues and men can also have low testosterone.
Hope I didnt overload you with too much info. Best wishes!
