Welcome David,
You and I have a few things in common. I am 55, only smoked a little as a teen, had base of tongue tumor and neck nodes and was treated by radiation with small amount of chemo. First of all, I am a little offended by your Doctor telling you that you only have 50% chance of living one year. Usual stats are 50% for 5 years. If you read old posts still available on this site, especially knowledgable ones by our fearless leader, Brian Hill, you will learn a lot about mortality and stats. First of all, those of us who are non smokers have better stats than long time smokers. Secondly one does not know how those stats are skewed towards old people or people with other ailments.
So, keep the faith, and don't believe everything you hear.
Regarding the radiation..it can get tough after a few weeks of treatment. My worst time was hanging around the house after the treatment ended. That is when I found this board and it was so helpful to me. I hope that you find it as helpful to you.

Danny G.