I was just at MDACC last week and this was discussed with me at some legth. The surgeon told me that your entire muscle structure in the back of throat, tongue or wherever you were radiated.. becomes hard from the treatment. Also, lack of saliva doesn't help. But the only sure way to improve the situation is to do the exercises.. and they gave me several. I could copy it to here if anyone wants to see them. While I have a problem with the lymphs backing up and my ears swelling.. hopefully if I start doing these exercises.. it will improve. This is prefectly normal for almost all radiation patients.. I was also seen by a speech pathologist.. that was a first! But she showed me how to put my neck all the way down as far as I can on my chest to swollow.. and if that doesn't work, move your head to the left and down and swollow. That improves your ability to get pills and harder things down and to prevent choking. She also told me that the only way to get the hardening to ease up is to use that muscle so it doesn't atrophy even more. I am eight years out of radiation. I still have trouble with choking from time to time. But I discovered that if you over use your voice, on top of the atrophy in the muscles and vocal cords.. all sorts of problems arise. If you become hoarse for more than two weeks.. you need to be seen. I went a month with it and they discovered a radiation nodule.