 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | RJM, I am sorry to read about your husbands problems from having oral cancer. Everyone responds in their own way to medications and their reactions to treatments and their after effects vary. Im very sorry to give you some bad news. Sadly some people lose their ability to swallow and are dependent upon a feeding tube for life. You are doing the right thing by taking him to the speech pathologist.
Im sure you will hear from Charm sometime soon. He is in a similar situation where he is not able to eat or drink anything. I use a feeding tube for about 1/2 of my nutrition as I cannot eat enough to sustain myself. I also use a pump and let the formula slowly run overnight. It is easier for me to do the feedings while I sleep since I cant tolerate the gravity or push methods.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
