Welcome to the family. I'm sorry you have to be part of the group, but there are a lot of committed members and hopefully, we will be able to help you through your ordeal.

The most important thing that anyone on a feeding tube can do is to do the swallowing exercises that the hospital gives him religiously. The exercises keep the swallowing muscles intact and in working order. My husband was on a feeding tube for two and a half years; when it was finally removed, he was still able to swallow and the speech path gave credit to the fact that John did the exercises everyday.

If your husband is choking, it means that he is aspirating. It is of paramount importance for him to cough it back up. Aspiration pneumonia is dangerous as it can lead to infections in the lungs. You may be right in saying that after radiation swallowing will be even harder. It depends on where the radiation is directed at, scarring and other factors.

I know how frustrating it is for the patient as my husband was feeding tube-dependent for more than two years. However, pushing too hard when the body is not ready can lead to a host of problems. Patience is needed. We are available here to hold your hand and help answer some of your questions.