Hi Tori,

I’m sorry you have the need to join the forum. The doctors might have mentioned to you that the radiation continues to work for about a month after the last treatment finishes. So your husband is in the very early stages of recovery. My husband had a different cancer and the treatment was not quite the same. I was going to suggest that you access the service of an SLP but then I read in your first post that he has seen one already and will be following up. The advice to continue swallowing is very good advice and important as the swallowing muscles may become atrophied if not used regularly. When John was in treatment, he was told to keep doing the swallowing exercises he had been given religiously. His RO said even dry swallows (without anything in his mouth, just the motion of swallowing) will help. So maybe your husband can start with that and slowly progress from there. Not doing the exercises may result in aspiration. My husband had silent aspiration and ended up in hospital with pneumonia. That could be dangerous. I would assume the same applies to speaking - start slow and make tiny steps forward. I used to put a lot of pressure on my husband to make him swallow but it resulted in his getting really frustrated. I would also suggest that you ask to see his oncologist again if his situation doesn’t improve. They can refer him to other specialists or prescribe anti-anxiety medication. Don’t be afraid to advocate for him.

Wishing you all the very best!