Hi,

As to the origin of the blood, radiation literally burns the tissues of the mouth and throat, so it could be from that or some could be from irritation caused by the vomiting. What do her doctors say?

Throwing up the food from her PEG doesn't sound very good. Is she losing a lot of weight? Is she sitting upright when taking feedings thru the PEG? Using the PEG while laying down can cause nausea. And is she dealing with constipation? That can affect the digestive system big time. If you put constipation in the search field at the top of the page, you will see there have been several discussions on this. It can be a MAJOR problem.

As for not swallowing, it's probably not a big deal if it is temporary. But again, have you questioned the docs and what do they say? It sounds like they are not managing her care very well. Have they been made aware of all the problems she is having? You might have to be pushy to get her the help she needs. Some of her problems can be managed with medication.

Another suggestion on the phlegm/mucous. Many people have mentioned that they have gone thru mega boxes of Puffs. They are soft enough to not irritate, but strong enough for wiping the mucous from the mouth. At night, sleeping partially upright (in a recliner like Erik suggested) or just propped on pillows if no recliner is available is helpful. And Joanna has suggested rolling gauze and putting it in the gutters of the mouth to soak up some of the mucous while sleeping. Heather did that for awhile and it did seem to help. I do think a suction device is the best solution, but these ideas might help until you can get one.

Rainbows & hugs,
Rosie