Hi all,

My name is Rebecca and I'm 39 years old, mum to a very energetic 5 year old boy. I'm Australian but I live in Cambodia (I'm a kindergarten teacher), but I'm staying in Thailand for a couple of months for treatment. I don't know anybody here, it's just myself and my little boy.

I was diagnosed with adenoid cyctic carcenoma in my sinus cavitiy three weeks ago. I've since had surgery to remove part of my jaw (I was lucky enough to have my mum and sister come and help out with my son for two weeks, but they've gone back to Aus now). I have a temporary prosthetic plate to cover the hole that now exists between the roof of my mouth and sinus cavity. It's going to be replaced with a more permanent one after radiation. Radiotherapy will start next Tuesday and will go for six weeks. My team of doctors are very positive this will kill the remaining tumor that couldn't be removed during surgery.

In the wait until radiotherapy starts I've been reading a ton about anti-cancer foods and have changed my diet completely. I have a small kitchen in the hotel I'm staying in, and I'm having lots of fun cooking cancer fighting/immune system boosting meals.

As I say to my little boy, we can do this! I'm determined to do everything I can to get through this.

Welcome to OCF! Im so sorry you are going thru this. Being a single mom isnt easy, especially when going thru battling OC (oral cancer). Im a single mom too and it was definitely one of the most challenging things Ive done. Luckily for me my children were older so didnt require as much care.

Eating healthy is great but it may not be doable when doing rads. Make sure you discuss your new diet with your physician as some foods may not work with certain medical treatments. I will talk more about intake with you down the road. Just for now eat everything you can and if you can put on a couple pounds that could help with making it easier.

Since you are by yourself, you may need help with your son. Now is a good time to line up some help. Anyone who offers their assistance tell them when the time comes you will let them know what they can do. You may need someone to drive you to treatments or even someone to care for your son if needing hospitalization. It never hurts to be prepared.

Best wishes with everything.

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your reply! I've been worried about how I'll feel after radiation starts.. and yes Im also trying to put weight on since I lost 7kg after surgery making my weight drop to an unhealthy weight.

It's tricky trying to find the best solution for my son. He has autism spectrum disorder and ADHD so he can be very difficult with new people. He's too anxious to put into a temporary child care centre (he'll likely have explosive meltdowns in the afternoons when he's back with me after being in an anxious state all morning), so I'm thinking maybe I'll hire a part time nanny who can tag along and help with him while he's with me.

Taxis are cheap here so I use those to get to hospital. I've also found a supermarket that does online orders and delivery so that will help too.

Welcome to the forum. Before I retired i had the opportunity of working with a number of parents with children on the autistic spectrum. I have the greatest admiration for them knowing what they are up against on a daily basis.

It can't be easy for you to have to go through surgery and radiation and care for the little guy. Is there a child care centre at your hospital? Can you leave your son and the nanny there while you wait for and get your treatment session? It will keep your son entertained while he is waiting for you.

I bought several cookbooks for cancer patients when my husband was in treatment. Unfortunately, I could use only maybe one or two recipes as John had so much difficulty with his swallowing that I couldn't cook much from the books. i would suggest consulting a dietitian at your hospital. They will give you suggestions regarding what you need to eat and keep an eye on your weight during treatment. From the sounds of it, you seem to really understand the importance of nutrition during treatment. And that's half the battle won.

Welcome to OCF Bec.