 Assistant Admin Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,275 Likes: 7 | Hi Pam,
If he has a feeding tube, that’s how he will get his main nutrition and hydration for the time being. What he eats or drinks by mouth depends on what he can swallow at this point. The swallowing test is administered by a speech and language pathologist. I know it sounds weird but they are specialists in swallowing.
If the doctor hasn’t ordered it, it may mean he won’t get the swallowing test for now. I would discuss this with the doctor and ask if he can order a swallowing test, if not now, then some time in the future. My husband’s doctors wouldn’t consider this until maybe 10, 12 weeks after radiation finished. I’m in Canada and we have social medicine, so it meant one has to wait for ten weeks to get a swallowing test. Our nurse told me to ask to be put on a cancellation list and be prepared to go when we got the call. I followed her advice and John got his swallowing test in two weeks! Talk about learning to navigate the system.
Gloria
She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails... Elizabeth Edwards
Wife to John,dx 10/2012, BOT, HPV+, T3N2MO, RAD 70 gy,Cisplatinx2 , PEG in Dec 6, 2012, dx dvt in both legs after second chemo session, Apr 03/13 NED, July 2013 met to lungs, Phase 1 immunotherapy trial Jan 18/14 to July/14. Taxol/carboplatin July/14. Esophagus re-opened Oct 14. PEG out April 8, 2015. Phase 2 trial of Selinexor April to July 2015. At peace Jan 15, 2016.
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