Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | I could not swallow water and spoke with several that either buy the thick water additive or thickened water. I drank 1-2 gallons of whole milk like Larry partially for the extra calories even though I do not like the taste. I am 7 months out and I still choke on water and use quite a bit to wash down drier things like pie crust and bread. I feel like there is a shelf or something about half way down that holds food or fluids until something else literally pushes it down. I can't chew ice anymore and ice cream stops at the "spot" and starts burning until I wash it down with something. I tried to get the ENT to do a dilation a while back but he was hesitant and I saw a story in the SPOHNC newsletter about someone that ruptured the pharyngeal wall and caused some other complications. I could fax the article from the March 2004 newsletter if you like.
Ed
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0 Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03 Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08. Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11 Cervical Myelitis 09/12 Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12 Dysautonomia 11/12 Hospice care 09/12-01/13. COPD 01/14 Intermittent CHF 6/15 Feeding tube NPO 03/16 VFI 12/2016 ORN 12/2017 Cardiac Event 06/2018 Bilateral VFI 01/2021 Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022 Bilateral VFI 05/2022 Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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