Micahel --

Go on the OCF web site under Dental Issues and follow links to Trismus -- there is a link to the Thera-bite company. Some insurances pay for it if it is deemed medically necessary. Barry ordered one, his ENT (who herself had HNC and knows what it's about) filled in the form for medical necessity, he faxed to the company and it's being shipped tomorrow. The woman he spoke to there said they get a lot of head and neck radiation patients referred to them.

Btw, Barry's ENT had a similar device to use when she had radiation, this was 15 years ago -- she said you have to use it regularly or things can stiffen up quickly. (She didn't and had some problems, now resolved). She also said when you get the PEG you have to try as best you can to continue to swallow, even if it means swigging 2% lidocaine beforehand as she has several patients who are several months out of chemoradiation and who relied 100% on their feeding tube and who now cannot swallow at all. She herself used lidocaine and managed to make it through the radiation swallowing although she says it was very hard.

Gail