Nicki, Sorry to be so long in getting to your post. Hurricane Frances and now Ivan are interferring with my plans and schedules. Tom is different than I, but our cancer is very similar so my experience may be similar. The radiation was the hardest of all of the treatments because it was so long and continuous. At first it was a breeze, then difficult, then a pain, then brutal. By the end, my neck was bleeding outside (treated with a with cream-like stuff)and mucous was so thick inside that it caused periodic vomiting. Swallowing was out of the question and my only nutrition and medicine intake was through the peg. Within 3 weeks after rad ended, though, things got better and it has improved weekly since then. My rad doctor told me 2 years before all of the side effects were gone or as close to gone as they were going to be. So be patient, it will get better and better after treatment ends. During treatment, it gets worse and worse, but after treatment it gets better. He will need all of your help and understanding as rad is even worse than the tonsilectomy. You both are in my prayers, as always.