stumble

sorry that the seltzer exceeded his pain threshold. Like EZJim, I just routinely did things that hurt to deal with choking etc.
It did help that I got major pain meds, including the fentanyl patches and if your husband has extensive mouth sores, I hope they are treating his pain properly. I did have to switch pharmacies once I quit using the hospital's as Safeway's "corporate" policies limited their ability to fill my opiate scripts of 100 or 200. Don't worry about that old doctor's tale of becoming addicted, with cancer pain not really an issue.
finally, ask your doctor and hospital about prescribing a home suction machine. the way mine worked is there is a one time delivery & rental fee, then it was a very low monthly rate, almost everthing covered by insurance. It actually worked better than the hospital's, with a mini-engine and plugs right into any outlet.
good luck