Michele

Easy answer; YES . Talk to your doctor about a feeding tube. I was one of the macho alpha males who pooh-pahed the PEG as being for sick or weak people without the true grit needed to tough it out. Ironically I am typing this hooked up to a feeding bag dripping Jevity 1.5 into my PEG. Even so, I lost over 20% of my body weight and struggled with Ensure Plus. MY Insurance covers the cost of the Jevity but I had to pay for the Ensure myself so not getting the PEG ended up costing me money too.
Radiation will cause mucous, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. How much varies with each individual and the radiation field and dosage. EAT EAT EAT now whatever you love and don't worry about calories. finally get a complete dental exam preferably from a prothodontist who specializes in treating cancer and radiation patients as the radiation will do a number on your jaw, the roots and nerves of your teeth and mouth in general. Most of us have had flouride trays made by our dentists/prothodontists for our teeth to use during radiation treatment and for the rest of our lives
Do NOT neglect this dental issue.
Good luck
Charm