Been through radiation treatments twice, once with a tube and once without.

Lots of great input above with good observations from both sides of the question.

Personally, I would recommend the tube for the duration of your treatments just for the ease of calorie intake. It is a pain, but I think in the long term, the ability to maintain consistent caloric intake outweighs the hassle of dealing with the tube.

As for the thick ropey saliva - ask for a suction machine. its a great way to clear your mouth and reduce the gag factor