Hi spk07-
I remember having this exact thought during radiation- around week 4, how am I going to get through it if it's going to keep getting worse?
I was on an all-ensure diet already at that point, but swallowing was so painful I wasn't drinking/eating enough and kept getting dehydrated.
I got through it by getting on more pain medication, a fentanyl patch which you wear on your arm and it gives constant medication, plus there were fast-acting fentanyl lozenges which I would take directly before it was time to drink the ensure. Three times a day I would sit down and drink 2 ensures and as much water as I could. I wrote down how much I ate and drank each day so I knew I had enough. For the taste issues, you gotta just think of the food as medicine, and know that the taste buds will come back!
The downside was that I could not drive once I was on the fentanyl, but it was worth it.
He's got to keep focused that this is a temporary thing and he WILL get back to eating pain free. When you're going through it though it feels like forever though!
For the mucous, rinsing his mouth/gargling with water mixed with baking soda and a little salt(or no salt) will help. This helps at night so much, I kept a glass by the bedside and would rinse and then spit into another glass so I wouldn't have to get up.
Hang in there,
Melissa