Nelie,

Ditto for me on the stinging mouth - 3 years out and most days my mouth burns like crazy. Sugar and the sugar and acid in fruits is the worst - feels like hot peppers or something. I have recently found that guacamole works really well - just wish I could have the tortilla chip with it! Usually I just eat the guacamole by the spoonful - whatever it takes, right? At least the avocado is a good source of healthy fats. I know what you mean by rice being a disaster - those little grains go everywhere and it seems like they multiply while they're in there! Does anyone else have the sensation of not ever really getting hungry? I generally have to remind myself to eat - I don't have cravings anymore - the joy of eating has definitely diminished - I have gained about 15 pounds in 2 years but that seems to be holding for the last 6 months or so. I did make homemade ice cream yesterday and that goes down just fine!

Nelie, I e-mailed you a year or so ago and talked about returning to school - well, I have finally gotten the courage to do just that. I start Monday at my local junior college and have registered for the fall term - taking math and science courses so I can transfer to a 4-year college and get a degree in clinical nutrition/dietetics - this should take 4-5 years and I'll be 50 when I'm looking for a job but I really want to help head/neck patients with these eating problems so hopefully where there's a will, there's a way! It's been 23 years since I sat in a college class - I was in the bookstore the other day and everyone was my daughter's age! In fact, I ran into a couple of her good friends - I'm sure I'll have classes with some of them - that's going to be so strange! Anyway, wish me luck - I'm starting to get cold feet.

Keep on trying with different foods - that's what I did and still do - just experiment. I still have to take very small bites with lots of liquid and it is a slow process - I spend 30 minutes to an hour depending on the meal. Take care

Pam