Hi everyone,

I haven't posted in awhile. My partner finished his radiation treatments about 3 months ago and has just begun trying to eat again for the past few weeks. He is still using his PEG tube for the majority of his nutrition and he isn't enjoying trying to eat. He can't taste most things very much and he wants to be off the PEG but he wonders if there is a liquid alternative to his formula.

We finally got to see a speech therapist and she suggests that he try to eat and use chewing motions even though he cant really chew. When he had his surgery they took all of his bottom teeth and he also can't feel what is going on inside his mouth. I guess that entire side of his face is still numb and he cant feel his flap. He is now able to move what is left of his tongue but the flap is tethered to the bottom of his mouth. So that is one of my questions. Does anyone who has had a flap tethered to the bottom of their mouth know if this is going to be permanent. I plan to ask his doctor when we go next week. I am just trying to find out if there is anything else I should ask him. Also, if it is permanent, were you able to figure out ways to mash your food in your mouth with the remainder of your tongue and I guess the roof of your mouth. That is the only way I can imagine he would be able to do it. As of now, he has been eating applesauce, pudding, and I made some beans last week. He used the blender and made what ended up as pretty much, bean "juice" . I was hoping to make it a bit more of, maybe a pudding consistency but he actually enjoyed the beans more than anything else he has tried so I'm just letting him do it his way.

I am guessing that the chewing motions his speech therapist wants him to do, will eventually help with his speech as well. She didn't give him any other exercises to do and hasn't worked much with him on his speech. He has only had 2 visits and a swallow study done. She has mainly talked to him about trying to eat more.

Does anyone have any links to any particular exercises to help with speech because we weren't really given any and/or any advice on things that will help him with eating, maneuvering food in his mouth?

Thanks,

Pam