Thank you for the input. I had significant neck swelling following surgery and was directed to massage my neck regularly afterwords. After a good year or more the swelling came down. It didn't really pose any discomfort. More recently, I have had a little more tongue sensitivity to many foods and drinks. I had to stop a herbal regimen I was using to assess the cause. Time will tell if it one of the herbs was the culprit. I will see an oral specialist in the near future regarding unexplained tongue discomfort at the back of the tongue, aggravated with solid foods passing over it and excessive talking. Follow-up imaging and exams have been negative for tumor recurrence. Eating for me has become a task to survive rather than pure enjoyment. Some non-sweetened flavors are magnified while sweet flavors are blunted. I have to pay attention to the mechanics of eating that we mostly take for granted, because portions too large can get stuck in my throat. I go through several glasses of water to get a meal down comfortably. The dry mouth is not comparable to the effects of mouth breathing at night. It is much more severe and becomes uncomfortable to say the least. Pure water gives brief relief but also aggravates it because what's missing is saliva that is viscous and water is not. And so it goes...