Hi Nancy,
I'm 12 weeks post Tx. I still have a lot of pain. Throat is fine, mouth is still sensitive, body feels like it's been hit by a truck! ~lol~ Still on pain meds. Saliva is maybe at 15%, mostly have thick secretions in the morning before it dries up.
You ask a good question. In reference to eating and swallowing... While I've seen the greatest strides in that department during recovery, it's still far from normal or an unconscious reflex. As I've been navigating this journey, I've come to realize that realistically, we're looking at 6 months to a year before some "normalcy" returns to our lives. It was that way with my open heart surgery. It was a good 2+ years before I didn't think bout it. Other than numbness around the incision, I have no other lasting effects.
Concerning your throat. You may want to ask your ENT. When I was scoped last month, he noticed that my throat was narrower due to scar tissue from my surgeries.
Continued healing, positive thoughts and prayers,
"T"