Hi All-

I know it has been a while since I last posted, life has been hectic...but I'm sure you are all aware of what that is like. We have used all your wonderful handy hints...thank you very much. Don- my husband- had a barium swallow test about 3 weeks ago and we discovered that he was apirating his fluids into his lungs. With that they scheduled more tests and one of the doctors scared us when he stated that if they discovered nerve damage that the feeding tube could be in for life. Needless to say we were a bit depressed. However 4 days ago he decided to try to eat again...and guess what...it worked. He can now eat spaghetti with lots of sauce and mashed potatoes & gravy. Soup is a good thing and he is actually having fun trying new things...even if some things are still far out of reach. Though it has been over 5 months post treatment and we never thought it would take this long to eat his first meal but better late then never.

He still has an ear infection and it is possible that he'll have to have a tube put in to help with the fluid build up...but the ENT believes the antibiotics will handle the problem. Don is still frustrated with the inability to hear but the eating thing has lifted his spirits.

Don has to do exercises for his jaw because it is getting very stiff...but the dentist noticed that he is able to open his mouth a lot more than he could 1 month ago.

So, for anyone who is discouraged, as we were, just remember the story about the turtle and the hare. Things may seem slower but patience is something we have had to learn through this entire experience. I know we still have a long way to go, we are definitely slow learners in this field.

Thanks again for all your words of encouragement...you are all GREAT!!!

Lorie
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husband diagnosed with tonsil cancer 8-7-03/stage III/35 IMR/6 chemo