So much of the literature about helping H/N cancer folks in the past has been about keeping us alive. Treatment regimes of all kinds sought little more that getting the cancer stopped. Few of the early efforts were very good at this and most of the early patients died. Treatment got better, and survivor rates started to climb. Surgeries got more refined, radiation got specific and the chemo chemists got new and better cocktails. Few early treatments paid much direct attention to quality of life - the energy was put on stopping the beast.

Survival rates are WAY up now - and rising. More of us are making it well past treatment and function and quality of life are becoming more and more important. We've got to get past the "make his final days comfortable" thinking and really restore health and function. Nutrition is terribly important in putting the body back together. So many metabolic processes rely upon the vitamins and minerals from a good diet. Healing is 'expensive' in metabolic terms and has to be supported with the raw materials from diet.

Social drinkers, go ahead and drink for comfort but know that every ounce of alcohol requires the body to divert healthy processes to detoxify. Alcohol is anesthesia to all parts of the body in any quantity. Perhaps the question is "Do you want to suspend your body's healing so that you can relax?"

There. That should get us started again.... Tom