Andrew,

IMO, regardless of how much you weight and especially if you are close to your "ideal" weight, eat, eat and eat as much as you want and don't worry about the fatty stuff. Eat all your favorite foods and savor every bite because soon after the IMRT begins you will most likely loose all taste for a very long time. Believe me it's hard to comprehend eating without the pleasure of eating but that's what you will shortly be doing and in my case it was 16 months post Tx before my taste came back to an acceptable, though not perfect, level.

If you haven't been fitted for dental trays I would definitely consider them. I started using mine 1 month prior to Tx and I still use them and probably will for the rest of my life. I also didn't get a port and if I had to do it all over again I would get one.

All through Tx you need to consume as many calories and as many ozs of water as your medical team tells you to. Try to do this every day. Only good things will come from this advice and you will make it tougher on yourself if you don't. I speak from stubborn and painful experience.

Ask as many questions as you feel like and complain when you need to. We have been there and we can give you much needed support. Just remember one thing....as tough as it may get, you will walk out of that dark tunnel and you will recover and in the scheme of your life this is a very small piece of time.

Good luck.


David

Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.