ok, in the process of answering everyone, realized the biggest good tip of all, in my procedures:
said i could suck on hard candy in between drinks to deal with beat up taste buds. i used ludens pectin cough drops in 4 berry flavors, the ginger people's gin gin hard ginger candies, dumdum lollipops, and werthers originals. in addition to my liquid meals of broths, jellos, and fruit juices.
the hard candies really helped
