Laurie,

As others have said, everyone is different. I had RT, but no chemo, The radiation was focused on the right side of my mouth and some of my neck, so my treatment wasn't as bad as many who had their entire throat radiated. I didn't have the thick mucous that many have, and I was able to swallow and took all my nutrition by mouth (no peg). My main problem was the painful mouth ulcers and swollen tongue that started mid-way through treatment and lasted for months afterwards. So I was on a liquid, bland diet for a very long time, lost a lot of weight and was on pain medication for months afterwards because of the mouth ulcers.

Follow the advice others have already given you. Radiation can damage your thyroid, so make sure you have blood work before treatment begins to get a baseline TSH. Also, radiation can damage your teeth, so you should use dental trays for fluoride during and after treatment.

Best wishes!