One month post treatment (TORS surgery + 33 radiation sessions)…feeding tube placed between surgery and radiation as a precaution but never used.
After surgery started doing daily routine of exercises 3x/day to strengthen mouth and neck muscles (Stanford University) which greatly helped.
One month since radiation, taste has improved (metallic to salty to buttery to more normal), can eat any type of food except breads and food that takes saliva to help digest. Dry mouth continues to be a problem but using tablets at night and following good dental hygiene practices to prevent problems. Will be starting acupuncture soon for dry mouth symptoms as I have read that acupuncture can improve salivation. Ramping up physical activity and now able to walk 10K steps/day which has helped overall health and length of sleep at night (avg 4 hour block of sleep before waking due to dryness in mouth).
Appreciate reading others experiences on this shared journey, especially those suggesting saliva production increases with time. Wishing all who read this strength and courage.