John,

I had two of the esophagus endoscopies done about 3 weeks apart about a year and a half after extensive tongue and pharyngeal surgery. I did not start therapy until nearly 9 months after my operation as I developed 2 cellulitis infections after 36 radiation treatments. I had nearly a year of therapy including vitalstim. I think the vitalstim and the stretches helped me the most.

Even after that I was not as agressive as I should have been with taling things by mouth. I became too dependent on the tube and only swallowed fruit juice. Then I started having trouble with the tube and thanks to inspiration from "misskate" on this forum who had similar surgery did I begin to take things mostly by mouth. Good thing because my third tube, a balloon type, gave me fits, I bled heavily and it was removed on Oct. 4 at the ER.

So I would pursue vitalstim and esophagus stretches by endoscopy. I wish you all the best.

Jim
SCC Rt lateral tongue Dx 9/03, Surg 11/03 (T2/N0M0);recur SCC BOT and anterior tongue Dx 1/04; surg 2/04 (T4/N0M0) subtotal glossectomy, forearm free flap, floor of mouth reconstruction,pharyngoplasty;trach until 3/04;PEG; 36 rad (3/04-5/04)therapy 12/04-12/05; 2 esophagus endoscopies; PEG infections Nov-Dec 06; embedded tube replaced by endoscopy Feb 07; replaced Sep 07; bleeding, tube removed Oct 07