Brainstorker: Dan did get one of the suction machines last week and that REALLY helped alot after he got the hang of it......not enough hands and when to use it.....I guess it's kind of a skill you have to develop....knowing the exact time to use it. Within a few times, he had it down pat and now uses it on a regular basis. If you get a machine now, you will be slightly ahead in your course of tx from when Dan got his. He has one more chemo (this Tuesday) and 7 more radiation treatments and then he is done.....hopefully for good. Dan's doctor wrote him a script for the machine and the mthly rental was only $1.73! I nearly dropped over right there.....we haven't found ANYTHING that inexpensive since we began this journey! What a deal! The wheelchair rental was twice that much, so I was impressed. I don't know what I was expecting, but the machine is not huge.....you couldn't carry it around w/you, but it fit in a bag! I was expecting something they might have to deliver.......I'm learning so much here! I would certainly recommend one of these.

The robitussin helped Dan somewhat, but we had to stop that last week. Dan was having horrible problems.....he was so weak and very disoriented. He fell several times, thus the wheelchair. In fact, he was diagnosed with delirium. There were some changes in his MRI, but no cancer or stroke, so the docs weren't really sure what was causing these symptoms so they cut out alot of the meds. He has improved now, so I'm hoping it was some kind of weird reaction to the meds. Although the Robitussin did help, I think tiny sips of water helped just as much....the machine has been the biggest help. Kirk.....I'll never know how you worked while going through this.....there is NO WAY Dan could do that in his condition!!!!

Another thing we tried, which was recommended here on the forum, was rolling up gauze pads and placing them in your mouth between your cheek and gums....this really helped to, then we got the machine the next day. Some people say sleeping in a recliner or at least w/your head elevated helped. Dan does use extra pillows which does help some. We didn't have a recliner, but my daughter and her husband came home this wkend and brought back my old recliner that I gave them when they were starting out a few years back. It is great for Dan.....and the price was right, since I'd paid for it some 10 years ago! I don't know though if it has helped or not......and I think the reason I can't tell is that he is just soooooo weary now and ready for the treatments to be over so his mouth can begin to heal along with the cancer! And yes, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter everday!

Thanks to all!
Michelle