 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | The muscles that flush the pockets out can be gradually strengthened by laying on your back and lifting your head up till you see your feet. They say to hold it for 30 seconds to a minute but I haven't been able to for 3 years now. I have to do them everyday and still by the end of the day,they are weak again.
I don't know if this is the case for many, but I find one day everything works quite well and other days it's impossible to start the swallow. Then on other days, the throat pockets won't clear out. Pretty bizarre but I have strategies for almost any scenario.
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
| 
