Larry Im sorry you are struggling! Try sleeping with a humidifier overnight. You may also want to try some over the counter cough meds. Many come in liquid form which can go right in the tube. Just always rinse after meds with at least 50cc of water. If you can rinse with 2 of the 60cc syringes after taking meds or doing a feeding thats an extra 4 oz every time which helps you meet your daily hydration goals.

If you havent already done so, talk everything over with your radiation or chemo oncologist. I think anxiety meds would help you to reduce the stress and hopefully make you feel a little better. Ask them for something that works quickly without weeks of taking it before you notice a difference. I think xanax is one that is good for occasional use so you can only take it on your bad days.

Im very sorry to be the one who is explaining this but radiation is cumulative. Most patients will feel progressively worse as their treatments continue. Even the first 2 or 3 weeks after you finish treatments rads still continue to work making most patients feel worse than they did while still doing treatments. But always remember... every patient is different. Not all patients will struggle, some sail right thru with little discomfort while others struggle from the beginning.

If your neck is hurting (like sunburn) pat some thick lotion on it and allow it to soak in. Reapply several times daily but never put it on a couple hours before you go for a radiation treatment. You dont want it to interfere. I used prescription beta-val cream and also silver sulfadine. Others have found over the counter Aqua-Phor to work for them. There are hundreds of others on the market too.

Hang in there! We are in your corner rooting you on.