Thanks again gmcraft,

Sorry it takes me so long to reply back. I can read all of the responses and look up info from the site on my phone but it is so hard for me to reply unless I have my laptop handy. Which, unfortunately, isn't often.

So, you said that the swallow test is administered by a speech and language pathologist and they are specialists in swallowing. Does that mean that they don't work with patients on speech as well?

I still haven't been able to see the doctor, myself but I am going with him to his first chemo appointment tomorrow and I am, or was under the impression that I would be able to see the radiation doc tomorrow but I'm not sure now but that's another story... Anyway, I'll find out tomorrow...

Newest issue, I hope someone can help with this, and I may start a new post for it, as well but, we are on day 3 of radiation and I am trying to get him to take in as many calories as possible as I keep seeing suggested on this site but he hasn't even been drinking his Nutribullet lately because he thinks he must be full. The reason he thinks this isn't because he feels full. It's because the feeding tube is "holding" or possibly "backflowing" food and/or water in it, even long after he is finished with the meal.

He only began to notice this about a week ago. I'm not sure if it has always done this or not. I didn't notice until he told me a few days ago. Unfortunately I am only just now getting around to asking about it.

He's only getting around 2600 calories from his formula which isn't a lot for someone his height I don't think. And until he started noticing this backflow or whatever it is, he was getting all of those calories plus drinking his nutribullets and milkshakes. Now, he's only getting those 2600 calories and his water because he's afraid it's going to spill out.

We flush it before and after every meal. And we're not having any trouble getting the formula or the water to go in. But after it all goes in, there is some just sitting there in the tube when he is finished. Is that normal?

We also have tried all of the methods we know of just in case it is an issue of clogging including using the soda so I'm not sure if it is a clogging issue or if he really is full????

Oh, and if anyone has any advice on things he should do before his first chemo treatment that also would be great, as I don't get to go to all of his appointments and from what he tells me, they didn't get any list of instructions or paper work about what he should do or not do before chemo.

Thanks again,

Pam