Hi Nancy
I'm glad to hear your sister is coming along reasonably well.

I don't know if anything can really be considered "normal" with this disease, but I am nearly 7 months post radiation, 10 months post surgery, and my neck in the radiated area reminds me of a cooked steak, texturally.

The tissue is tight, tough and has lost a lot of the elasticity that it had pre radiation. The Doctors tell me it is a combination of scarring from surgery and contouring from the radiation.

I think it is a commonality that many share post Rx. Also, she's pretty fresh out of treatment; I suspect you will see significant improvements in the way she feels over the next couple of weeks
Wayne