Hi Shannette,

Yes, it is all normal. So many of the complaints around radiation treatment relate to what you are describing.

Your Dad may never go back exactly the way he was, but will adapt over time to a new way of doing things as we all do. Sometimes the saliva doesn't return exactly as it was and more water with meals or more gravy than usual to help the food go down might be the answer.

Your Dad may have a bit of a slur in his speech which will improve over time, but will need practice and patience.

He might also struggle to swallow properly for a while and might need help with swallowing exercises from a speech pathologist.

He might also sail through everything, have his saliva return to almost normal, return to eating and drinking as soon as the pain from ulcers goes away and be the only person that even notices any changes to his speech.

Recovery can be a long time. However, it sounds like your Dad is lucky to have the understanding and support of people around him which he can rely on when the issues arise.