Ive been there and boy do I feel for you going thru this, especially not that long since your surgery. I know its not easy to eat at least 2500 calories every single day but it really will help make this as easy on you as it can be. Your first warning sign that what you are currently doing is not working is if you begin to lose weight. If you lose anything more than 2 pounds in a week I want you to immediately take steps to turn it around and for that day on take in at least 3000 calories, if you can push yourself to do 3500 calories then thats so much better. Skipping a day of counting calories or skimping and only doing say 1200 calories are both very bad habits to begin. It might seem at the time like its ok to mess up here and there but before you know it, that becomes the norm and its a rarity to get enough calories. Ive seen hundreds of patients over the years go thru this and the ones who listen the best to what I tell them about their intake are the ones who have the easiest time of it.

I want to tell you why I bug everyone about their intake so much. I was a bit chubby prior to starting rads but over a short 2 month stint of rads I dropped 65 pounds. Losing weight like that even if you are obese is NOT good!!! It means you are losing muscle right along with the fat and you will quickly lose your strength and endurance, besides being very unhealthy. I felt horrible!!! That sudden dramatic weight loss did other things too. I was malnourished and dehydrated which put me in the hospital a few times which I was very upset about. Nobody likes being there but I was especially miserable knowing it was my own fault for not eating enough. When the going gets tough, drink your calories. I used to drink yoo-hoo and huge chocolate peanut butter milkshakes that were loaded with calories. Do the best you can to eat a balanced diet but bottom line is calories are the focus more than a well rounded diet.

When it becomes difficult to overcome your pain even for a short time so you can eat then its time to talk to your doc about prescription meds. Theres magic mouthwash to swish around in your mouth and spit out. Theres several variations but they all will temporarily numb your mouth for about 15-20 minutes so you can eat more comfortably. You may also need something to help you sleep, something for diarrhea or constipation, and if you become nervous or depressed an anxiety medication wouldnt hurt. Im glad you saw your doc today. Did you get a chance to talk about if you should continue with a smaller dose of the lexapro? Dont be afraid to ask for pain meds if you feel over the counter things arent working. Most OC patients going thru rads will at some point need some strong pain meds. Many will use the fentanyl patch to help maintain a steady level of medicine so you avoid the ups and downs of pain by constantly taking pain meds.

I almost forgot to tell you about getting extra hydration if you are struggling to taking in enough water daily (48-64 oz). Your doc will have to write an open prescription so you can go on days you cant push yourself to drink enough. Some patients go 3x a week. When I would get a couple bags of fluids, I always came out of there feeling great. Maybe this would help to perk you up?

Never forget you have all of us in your corner cheering you on