Oh, Kendall, I bet you're concerned! He's going to have trouble recovering if he's malnourished and dehydrated. Instead of water, have you tried Gatorade or even chicken or vegetable broths? I find straight water a little tougher to take than other liquids sometimes. Also, as Jim suggested, the Carnation VHC is great stuff with tons of calories.

Are there any support groups around you? Or other patients he can talk to? Maybe he needs some reassurance that he can recover. Perhaps his doctors can recommend a therapist to help him (and you!) out, if he'll go.

Good luck, this has got to be a tough time for both of you.



Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08
Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016
Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018