I am 11 months out of chemo-radiation for base of tongue cancer. I have had the usual dry mouth, swallowing and trismus problems. I am finally resigned to the fact that in order to eat anything healthier than smoothies, ice cream, pudding, mac and cheese, Stouffer's tuna noodle casseroles and other soft foods, I am going to have to blend it. Even after having the esophogas dilation surgeries and doing the swallowing exercises, things are not improving all that much. But for social reasons, I eat out at restaurants a lot and usuallyam limited to ordering the soup. But I find if it has any black pepper sprinkled in it, it burns my tongue. I don't know why after 11 months, my tongue has not healed any. Does anyone have any comments or advice on this?