Hello Faith,
I had 1/3 of my tongue removed, it was the base of the tongue. The back of the tongue, which was explained to me by the Doctors, reacts automaticly when food gets to that area and pushs the food down.
I was given the same instructions. Do not attempt to eat until I was told to by the Surgeon. I used the PEG tube for everything, including hydrating myself with water. I was told I had a 20 % chance of a speech problem, but, fortunately, that never happened. As far as eating, I had a neck disection also. My tongue was reattached to the side of my throat and has made the passage a bit smaller. I was told that I would have a 20% chance of having to use the PEG tube for the rest of my life, again, I'm lucky that I don't need it. I am very careful when eating. I take smaller bites and make sure I chew everything well.
I forgot this several times after the operation and after treatment. I have had 3 choking episodes and luckily my son was there each time to help me. I am very careful now. I can eat food again, but stay away from certain ones that are stringy.
Yes, the Radiation does play havic on the throat. The Ocologist will prescribe meds and make sure to stay ahead of the pain if at all possible. As one survivor put it in another post on this board. After the treatment ends, the treatment still cooks for roughly 2-3 weeks afterwards. After that time, the healing begins.
My Best to you Both