I am new here to please bear with me. I am a 62 year old female and live alone but do have the support of friends. I am in desperate need of some hope following the dreadful side effects of the radiotherapy treatment I endured for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. I have a life long fantastic friend, without whom I dont think I could have come this far, but I need some hope/reassurance of people who have been through this very aggressive and barbaric treatment for throat cancer.. I finished the 30 days of radiotherpay on 21st November 20014, by which time I was an inpatient at Guys Hospital having had a nasogastric tube fitted. As the weeks have passed following the final radiotherpay session, I am on my knees in despair. Yes the side effects were explained to me (and I signed a form to this effect) but in a very cursory way and in no way prepared me for what I am still going through,, The symptoms - Thick dreadful mucous for which I have had to get a suction pump, complete loss of swallow function and complete loss of voice plus of course nightly feeds through naso gastric tube has turned my life into something so alien that I feel I have lost "me". Can anbody out there give some hope as to how long it will be before these side effects begin to diminish (its been 5 weeks and gets worse every day still). I am on my knees with despair and not sure that I can carry on for much longer. Can someone tell me of their experience.. My fear is that I will end up with a feeding tube forever and never be able to communicate by voice again. I thank you in advance for any response. Chris