Wonderful response, KristinS! Thank you for all of the encouragement and thanks for sharing more of your story.

I was lucky. I think it was the radiation oncologist who provided a long list of daily tongue and neck exercises that I did 3-4 times/day; I could swallow throughout every week perhaps because of the exercises. I was never restricted to the PEG tube, but have relied on a great deal over the past 3-4 weeks. The major symptoms of treatment, such as vomiting, rather severe (but colorful!) neck lesions/scarring, painful coughing fits, and deep fatigue, only hit me during the last week of treatment - and, again, mostly just after the last RADS and until just a day ago. It would have been so much harder if those symptoms had hit me weeks earlier.

I was also lucky to have my wife handy and helpful and my daughter (and two dogs) throughout most of the entire ordeal. I met others who did not have regular caregivers, or their families would work but are unavailable during the day, so they're on their own; others had to keep working to maintain health benefits. I was concerned about aspiration pneumonia because I am an asthmatic (with histories of pneumonia and bronchitis), but the thick mucous formed - again - only in the last weeks and I have learned well over the years how to expectorate. My morning routine of light exercises, meditation and jogging 1-2 miles with my dog kept me going even as I think I could only jog .25 of a mile in recent weeks. Helped prevent neuropathy, too, along with Cymbalta.

I intend to stay with this list, adding updates and trying to help whenever possible. And, I am definitely interested in donating and perhaps doing walks with the organization.

Hugs to everyone, DavidDH