Good luck tomorrow David. Maybe you, Steve and I can get a group discount for the swallow boot camp in Seattle! I'll be darned if I don't have pneumonia again for the third time since November.

I also do the exercise you mention, Steve, laying on the back and raising the head to see the toes. They told me to do it for a minute at a time. After a year doing it many times a week, I'm up to 30 seconds for 10 times. I think that's about the hardest exercise I remember. I also lift the head straight up while laying on my back. That ones not so bad now the core is built back somewhat.

I also added a whole bunch of neck exercises to get rid of the neck brace and avoid a halo. So far so good. I've managed to build enough support with the little muscles even though my rhomboids and sternocleidomastoid muscles have completely corded out.

It must all be working because I have just a little neck discomfort at times. I've moved out my special neck stretches to once a month from twice a week a year ago. Overall with all the muscle issues I've gone from 3 or 4 hrs a week down to 2 hrs a month. I have not taken any pain meds or meds period for 54 weeks. A new record.


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023