Nelie,
I am having similar problems swallowing solids. Anything remotely solid (including diced peaches) seems to get stuck in my throat and then I cough it up. In addition this seems to treigger an allergic-type reaction which brings the roof of my mouth out in bumps. Interesting that somebody has mentioned that there are diffreent muscles for swallowing solids to liquids as I was putting this down to narrowing of oesophagus due to treatment. Have ben advised to gradually thicken consistency of food until able to handle solids.

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Chris, 49 Male, Tonsil Cancer with metastase to neck lymph node. Tonsillectomy+neck dissection, Cisplatin/radiotherapy completed May 2005

Hi Chris, It looks like we had our treatment at about the same time too. Have you been to see a swallowing specialist or are you just going to try following that advice about gradually thickening the consistency first? I am trying to do that and have decided to give it another week before I call my ENT and ask for a referral to the person at the hospital who could probably do a barium swallow test and help me more. From what I undertsand, probably the first thing he would say is exactly the advice you got, so I want to be able to say I've tried that already and need more help.

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and sorry to learn you're dealing with this too.

Nelie

Congrats on being Pel-less Terry!!! That is awesome. I bet you are sooooo releived.
Tami

oops that was supposed to say "Congrats on being peg-less!"

Yes, I forgot to add that to my last post. It's wonderful you are off the PEG, Terry. Gives me hope.

Here's my own progress report. Tonight I heated up another bowl of that onion/garlic soup and, instead of saying to myself that I wasn't sure I could do it, I said to myself that I WILL get through this bowl, even if I have to cough and spit and gag every now and then. My husband was sitting right in the other room so if I really choked badly I figured he would come (and he did at one point when it seemed I'd inhaled a bunch of mushy onion bits).

I did a lot of coughing and spitting out the little bits of stuff I couldn't get down into kleenex--I'm defintiely not ready to eat in public--but I made it through the bowl and swallowing did seem to get a little easier as I went on. I have a little container of applesauce I plan on having for dessert and then I need a major flossing and toothbrushing and mouthwash seesion to get the last of the onion and garlic out of my mouth but I am feeling very pleased with this. Mainly because, although I'm clearly still having some issues with swallowing right, I'm NOT having any bad pain and I can taste this soup OK.

Yay!! There's hope. Maybe I'll make progress wihtout having to get a lot fo special rehab if I just keep at it.

Nelie

Tommorrow I'm going to try scrambled eggs with a lot of olive oil and cheese to help them go down.......

Hooray! Today onion soup, tomorrow the WORLD!!
I'm glad things are progressing so well.

Andrea

John's mouth and throat have been causing lots of problems this past week, but the other day, I mixed a can of Campbell's cream chicken gravy with some Swanson's Chicken broth, threw some chopped fine mushrooms in and simmered it while cooking a batch of Angel Hair pasta. Poured the sauce over the pasta and he has eaten it for 3 days now. I'm gonna try Gail's pureed spinich soup this week.

Nelie,

Have had the swallow test (video fluoroscopy). Have been given some exercises to strengthen closure of nasal passage as it showed this was not working properly. As a result of earlier post on Shaker Exercise I have done ome researh on this on Google and am going to try this as well to strengthn swallow muscles:

Shaker Swallowing Rehabilitation Exercise

1. Extended Shaker