Thanks to all the above posters for this now one-month-old thread; hopefully things are better. I am now 6 weeks post-chemo/rad for a T4N2bM0 HPV+ cancer at the tongue base. I had psyched myself up for the treatment and "a few weeks of worsening" afterwards, but as of today still really sore to swallow and swallowing isn't perfect, things get "stuck" still. The day-to-day ups and downs of symptoms mask overall gradual progress, so discouragement can become a huge issue. Thanks to all of you sharing your stories, I can buckle down and get through this.
My rad oncologist has been frank about everything, even to the point of telling me "this treatment is the worst thing we do to people"; despite that, and this forum's info, I cannot say I was "ready" for these side effects, nor could I have been.

If still having difficulties, point out to your husband how much courage he has already displayed, and tell him he'll need just a little bit more.

"If you are going through Hell, keep going; it's no place to stop"

The above (and variations) has been, probably incorrectly, attributed to Winston Churchill. But it's true.