I was coughing up a lot of blood Monday so i went to the ER and they ended up admitting me to do the standard protocol for allergy to IVP contrast because a CT shows a better picture of the lungs. The went ahead and did the throat because there was concern about the vocal cord injection. Everything looked fine but they were concerned about something that showed up in the right lung and after a day of consults with pulmonology, otolaryngology and neurology, everyone decided it was most likely pneumonia. I think it was the vocal cord injection material. I was discharged Thursday and returned for a couple swallow tests on Friday and they are now allowing me to resume eating pudding and nectar, chased with water. I can experiment a half of a teaspoon at a time, 2 times with the head to the right and 2 times with the head to the left. I also had the upper esophageal sphincter stretched and had a bronchoscopy and EDG while I was in there. The net of all that is my airway was unbelievably good as was the esophagus and they think my Nissen Fundoplication stitch caused the bleeding from a bad acid vomit that most likely caused the pneumonia, too. My voice range is the best it's been for 12 years and I'm starting back in swallowing therapy January 10 to work on food. It won't be meals or anything that excited, only comfort eating but that's pretty exciting.

Paul, the VFI I had was the longest acting, 12-24 months and only done with a microlaryngoscope in a hospital. I had to have a cardiac anethesiologist in the room during everything, but they only assigned a nurse anethstetist who just happend to have had 2 years cardiac experience, because of the baroreceptor issues, but I hydrated up for a day before the procedure, they hydrated me well before the procedure and they did an oxygen preload up to 100%. I had zero events for 2 hours for the longest period in the last 7 years. The NA even changed the IV tubing to a wider diameter with a backflow filter so if they had to medicate me for the congestive heart failure, it needed to be quick and precise.

I guess the VFI was a success. Time will tell.

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