Wayne,

I had the same surgery as you, had half of my lower jaw replaced with a bone from my leg, a little over three years ago. I didn't have any skin grafts though as the tumor was contained in the jaw. I also did a full course of radiation and walked through it............even if I was dragging near the end! I wasn't aware how sick it was going to make me, I found this site after treatment ended, so it took me by surprise. BUT, I took it day by day and made myself focus on getting through radiation, nothing else. I would suggest a PEG tube since you are a smaller build, I had one and would have been in trouble without it. Nutrition is so important to the healing process and it takes months to heal.
Are you having standard radiation or IMRT radiation? That also makes a difference in the side effects and the long term effects.
Sorry to hear about your mom and sisters, certainly isn't the time for all that. Put it out of your head and focus on the treatments. The simulation can be scary as they make the mask that you will wear for each treatment, so if you don't like being confined ask for an anxiety med to take before the simulation. The first week of treatments had me leaving there with my knees shaking, being confined like that shook me up pretty badly. By the middle/end of treatments, I could have fallen asleep on the table. We adjust. Take it one week at a time. I put a calender up on my fridge and crossed off each day after I came home from treatment. Seemed to work for me and I still have that calender!
Keep us posted so we can help.
Minnie