Hi Gloria and all,
Well, Jack had the procedure on Friday. The good news is it worked! Surgeon was able to open enough for him to swallow. He is sipping water and ginger ale and feeling pretty good except for very sore throat due to the procedure. There isn't bad news, but it's something I am trying to put out of my mind. The surgeon said that it was easier for him to open than he thought it was going to be which raised a red flag for him that something else was going on. Yikes! He said there is a lot of scarring from the radiation and some scarring on the voice box which poses a risk of slamming shut, which would mean there would be nothing else to be done and Jack would be reliant on a feeding tube the rest of his life. My step son and I decided NOT to tell Jack that part of the news as we want him to "think positive" and it has so lifted his spirits! He continues to have horrible mucositis and continuing to spit, but he said he's swallowing fine. So.....surgeon said the next 3 weeks will probably be the deciding factor and he's to have another swallow test in 3 weeks time to see how it's progressing. He's on only liquids for a month and then we see surgeon for follow up end of August and to have PET CT Scan. So, I won't allow myself to be down and think negative thoughts. It's all positive and I'm visualizing Jack healing and staying "OPEN" and eating some solid food in the near future.
I will keep you posted.
Let me know what progress your husband is making, too Gloria.
Pamela