Well, I failed my Barium Swallow Test yet again. This makes three in a row. At least I could swallow one third of a teaspoon of barium without aspiration so I will endure another 12 sessions of Vitalstim and take another MBS in December. Of course since 1/3 of a teaspoon could not provide enough nourishment for a mouse, let alone a grown man - no food not even soft or pureed this year for me. Seven months and two weeks of nothing but Jevity 1.5 (and wine) down the PEG.
Now they think it was the extra 25 GY of radiation on top of the earlier 72 GY that has damaged the nerves that control swallowing. So October and November will be spent driving to the CCC twice a week, dealing with their parking and paperwork, and sitting in a room for an hour trying to swallow. I am up to 300 "audible swallows" but apparently lots of them are just aspirating spit and saliva into my lungs which apparently does not cause any health issues. Food however if aspirated would be life threatening.
Still it does beat the alternative of being dead, and we are saving some money on groceries as the insurance picks up all the jevity tab now that I met my $6,000 catastrophic co pays for this year. I have not given up hope for a Christmas miracle but don't have much faith in it either.
charm