Hi all,

I am new to this forum and have joined on behalf of my brother (50) who had a biopsy on his throat and has just been through radio and chemotherapy. He is in recovery now and has been given good news in relation to the treatment process and is now doing physiotherapy on the muscles around his throat. He has to wait a number of weeks to have a CT Scan. He continues to use a tube through the stomach for food although he can only take liquid food replacements. He has tried to orally drink some water but this has caused him problems as it is going in to his lungs. This is his biggest issue as he wants to know if he can or will ever be able to eat �normally� again? Any light you can shed on this or experiences would be grateful. Many thanks in advance. Philip

Hi there... He needs to see a swallow and speech therapist, he needs to start by trying to swallow thickened liquids and food that are soft. What happens sometimes when people don't continue to try and swallow through treatment, the muscle can atrophy - also sometimes there are issues with the epiglottis. He need to find out what is causing it first. That's why it's ideal even just to try and swallow even just a little fluid during treatment. He needs to start ASAP, even if It means dulling the pain and then trying a bit of thickened stuff. Of course do confirm with your dr. Hugs and welcome.

Hi Philip,

Welcome to OCF. This is a tremendous resource for obtaining information of all kinds related to oral cancer.

Please speak with the doctors and therapists about the aspiration issues as each case is different and suggest different outcomes. They know his specific condition and are nearly always to best to answer this sort of question.

The vast majority of folks come off the PEG and return to eating normally, many soon after treatment ends, some after some delay and a handful require a PEG for prolonged times. The general timeframe for recovery is a year within which the vast improvements will be experienced.

If you offer more details about his diagnosis, treatment, and condition that allows members to provide more relevant answers and insights to assist you and your brother.

Again, welcome to OCF.

Don

Thanks to you both for your quick replies and I am sure I will be back with more questions later,

Philip, welcome to OCF!

Many OC patients struggle to regain their ability to eat and drink after going thru treatments. It can take many months to see any progress which can be very discouraging to the patient. Its best to have a barium swallow test to ensure he is physically able to swallow without aspirating.

The best thing your brother can do for himself is to focus on his intake. Every single day he should be taking in at least 2500 calories and 48 oz of water. This needs to continue until at the least he hits his first year post treatment. His body has been thru the war and it takes lots of fuel to rebuild it. A complete recovery can take all of 2 full years. Many patients will be much better about 6 months post tx but continue to see improvements in their sense of taste, ability to swallow and fatigue up until about the 2 year mark. But always remember, everyone is different and will adjust at their own pace.

Best wishes to your brother with his continued recovery.

Hi Phillip, your question has been well answered, welcome to OCF and best wishes for your brother's recovery.

Thanks to all for their time (so far)