As T mentioned, you're still early in the recovery stage, at two weeks or so. Radiation keeps working just as long as your radiation treatment last, and from the damage to the from the radiation and chemo, so you will still experience treatments symptoms. It also depends if you received radiation ipsilateral instead if bilaterally, If so, you will still have salivary function on the unradiated side,mind depends on the type of chemo, and Cisplatin and taxol are strong. The rope mucus starts to resolve around the 3rd week, tasting, eating around on the 3rd month, but other issue can take 12 months, or longer.
They may take the peg out to avoid sepsis, treat with bacterial or anti fungal meds, whichever type infection it is. They can put in a nasal tube if for short duration, usually less than 6 weeks, and then a G-tube, if needed.
As far as eating, taste, it takes time, but also what is preventing eating, swallowing and taste should be treated also. That goes from dry mouth, which involves taste, throat inflammation, mucocitus, pain, fungal, bacterial or viral infections, like thrush, nausea, vomiting, spicy and sharp textured foods, foods to hot, cold, otherwise it will delay your ability, need, and want to eat, and can be psychological too.
There are ways to increase your appetite, as Ed mentioned. Some medications are Marinol, Megace. Also caffeine, wine, melatonin, corticosteroid like decadron (prednisone) you had during treatment, amino acids, omega 3 fish oil, sugar increases appetite, so does fat, and that combination is best. Ever wonder why no one can stop eating kettle corn, candy, sugar and oil! So those canned protein drinks are good in some sense for now or add your own. Fat increases appetite, and eat most proteins that have higher fat, which also easier to swallow, even adding a health oil in a sprat mister, I have Misto brand, helps in swallowing, taste, and extra calories. Smelling food also increases saliva, and appetite. Seeing food, also increase saliva, hunger, and happens to me be just watching the food channel. Smelling lemons, citric candy, chewing gum increases saliva. After treatment, one should eat what they are accustomed to, so the memory helps. Nothing new or daring yet. I went to a buffet a few times it see what foods I liked, can eat, tolerate, all which I've eaten before, and doubt there are many oops I haven't. Some textures bothered me, like potatoes, bread. Cheap food, ones with too many chemicals, preservative just could not tolerate or want to.
Tasting also involves more than eating. It invokes all your senses from your memory just visualizing a favorite meal or how you remember it tasting, and do that when eating that food, seeing, food must be appealing, hearing the food cooking, smelling helps increase appetite, and how the food tastes,and involves smelling. From treatment it's rare for your sense of smell, unless receiving radiation further up in the head. Also to taste,myths 5 taste senses, salt, sweet, sour, bitter, umami. I still have a problem with salt, sweet, but manage somehow. Even the ambience, pleasantly of the room makes one want to eat. The nerve in the tongue, effected by radiation, which transmits taste receptors to the brain has to heal, and taste buds, which are killed off after than they can be replaced from the chemo and radiation.
From radiation and chemo, many have conditioned, and acquired food aversions by associated it with the ill feeling, metallic taste, from both, and connect it with the last meal they ate, and or from the nausea and vomiting. To help prevent this something strong candy is eaten to avert this is used, like a string candy before treatment.
ChristineB made a post with easy to eat foods, that is helpful, and other links if you go to search. Lastly, see a speech and swallow therapist.
I hope this helps, but probably forgot something
