The battle has just begun!

After my visit to see Dad I feel great about some things and frustrated about the rest. Like I said in the previous blog, I could have stayed there another week and still found more to do.
I went with Dad to see Dr. Greenberg and he was wonderful. Dad will be having 7 weeks of radiation lasting 15 minutes long. He was fitted for his mask today so that his head will stay still during the procedure and also so they will not have to mark on his body!
The effects of his rads are:
*dry/pasty saliva
*taste dysfunction
*will not be able to eat (not sure about another feeding tube, Dr. Greenberg was shocked at the site of the last one and said the scar next to it was "unexplainable")

Some of these will also be permanent but should improve slightly with time.
Dad will be put on pain meds for the duration of this therapy. The further into treatment, the stronger the meds. Once he is done, they will wean him off these medications. This will obviously impair his driving ability too.
Dr. Greenberg said that he will be in the toughest period after the 3rd-4th week on
.
Dad is a very pleasant patient and the whole staff said they would do anything and everything to get him through this. He has a very tough road ahead and I assume some days he will spend in bed. Let's just hope and pray his attitude gets him through. I tried to explain over and over how important that is during all this.

He has an appointment with the oncologist Febuary 11th. His name is Dr. Kirby. The radiation will probably get underway a few days prior to chemo.

I was unable to get to Dad's car :( and the paperwork Melissa prepared. I hope Stuart or Tracy can help out with that.

Dad is unpacked for the most part and hopefully will take some pride in this new place. I think Bobbie plans to spend some time there so maybe that will make him more accountable.

I only wish I was there to do more.

The Dr. recommended Dad take L glutamine liquid which I will be purchasing online for him.