Mike,

I think you may get a range of responses about the length of time it takes for taste buds to come back -- it's hard to generalize about what to expect on that score.

In my case, it took many months, and it was a gradual process -- some taste buds returned sooner than others. In the meantime, you can't let your diet be limited to what "tastes good", since virtually nothing does. You need to be sure you're getting a balanced diet with plenty of calories (whether by mouth or by tube) to give your system the best shot at recovery.

Cathy