You should discuss swallowing with your husbands doctors. He may need a barium swallow test to ensure he is able to swallow correctly (you may too embishop). The swallowing muscles can very quickly forget how to function together when they are not used frequently. Most docs say to swallow several times per day, even if its sips of water here and there thru out the day, or to try doing a few dry swallows. Once patients lose their ability to swallow it can take them years and some major work with a SLP to regain their ability to safely swallow. You definitely do NOT want to push anyone to swallow who is not physically able to do it. That can and does cause aspiration pneumonia which is fairly common for OC patients.

Connie, often hospital pharmacies will carry feeding tube accessories like the 60cc syringes as well as all kinds of other helpful items. You may have to ask for them or check on the Oley Foundations patient exchange website to see if anyone is giving any away. As a feeding tube patient, every month he should be given at least 4 of the 60cc syringes right along with drain sponges, paper tape and feeding bags for use with the feeding pump or gravity method of doing feedings. These items are medically necessary but he will need a prescription from the doc to get them.