Ha, Yea when my RO told me "eat up" I have definitely done that! I spoke to him today and he said water but when it gets tough to put down 8-10 glasses a day mix in the gatorade for the extra boost! I am hoping to be able to put down solid food at least to week 4. I dont know the exact amount of pain but I do know that it hurt like hell with my tongue surgery to eat and with my neck dissection but I managed. With my tongue it wasnt so much my throat even though everytime I swallowed my tongue would THROB since I had the surgery on the back side of it! I am almost envisioning it feeling like it does when you wake up from surgery after the breating tube has been shoved down your throat for 3 hours except that pain goes away in a day this is going to be ongoing for a month or so! Who knows! My RO told me that he has a 72 year old woman right now on her last week (7 weeks) and she hasnt missed a beat! Said she isnt really having any problems at all that she cant handle.....then on the other side he has a 46 year old that acted like this wasnt going to phase him and he was going to work the entire time he was having treatment......well you know how that story goes! He was in the office crying and whining after week 3 and by week 4 done working! Sooooooo we just wait and see! I have my 1st softball game Sept 20th so I better be good by then....lol!