Laurie,

Thanks, sounds like we had a similar process.

On speech and eating, I noticed significant improvement between surgery and radiation. Then, radiation put me back a ways. After surgery, I noticed improvement nearly daily. But, after radiation, I learned I had to judge my improvement in weeks and months.

Over three years out and I am not back to normal speech or normal eating but I can eat most anything not too spicy and everyone can understand me. Alcohol tastes terrible except for a heavy stout beer which I save for special occasions. My biggest challenge is conversations while eating such as a meal out with friends or a party with food. I never realized before how often we all speak with food in our mouths at these types of settings. I am very hard to understand if I try to speak with some food in my mouth. I have noticed that foods still slowly improve. Suddenly, I will be able to eat something that 2-3 months earlier, I could not (too dry, too spicy, etc).

People would tell me my speech was improving but I didn't really notice probably because I was always hearing myself. So, I would tape myself reading something and go back and listen to it a month later. Then, the improvement was obvious to me. Maybe try that?

Keep us updated. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Best,
Nels