Barbara,

David is right about "normal" taste disappearing. It happens all the time with head/neck radiation -- the only question is how quickly it happens, and how long it takes for it to return. Radiation is a cumulative process, so the side effects can be expected to continue for weeks or even months after the end of treatment (the rule of thumb around here is that it can take 1 month of recovery for each week of radiation).

In the meantime, your husband can't let his lack of desire for food dictate what he eats (or doesn't eat). Nutrition and hydration are absolutely essential for recovery, and there should be a hospital nutritionist that can help monitor his condition and make suggestions about how best to keep up his intake. Some of us didn't have tubes and got through by eating very soft foods (like baby food, fruit smoothies, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, creamy pasta dishes, etc.). Others have found that a tube was absolutely necessary to maintain their nutrition levels - so do whatever it takes to get enough calories (and liquids) into his system.

Cathy