Just an update on how my swallowing is going.

I am trying to swallow more liquids gradually, even if I can't do solids. I really can't wait for the day I can do pasta or mac and cheese and what I miss the most is salads, which I hope I can do, at least with shredded veggies and lots of dressing one of these days, even if I'm done crunching on whole carrots.

I made Gails' crab soup yesterday and my husband enjoyed it unblended while I pureed it and had a bowl. Later I had a bowl of cream of broccoli soup--its one of those organic ones that comes in a box. Very good--I added some extra half and half and some miso to it for some extra protein and to thicken it just a little. Today I'm going to have a smoothie for breakfast and the two soups later in the day and as well, I am also swallowing a big mug of white tea every day. This is way more swallowing than I've been doing previously, and I'm hoping that even though it's all liquids, it will help get my throat back in shape to swallow solids (of course, I'm also doing cans of jevity down the tube for the bulk of my calories since a smoothy and two bowls of soup, even rich soup, won't exactly cut it).

I've been less successful at keeping up the swallowing exercises as much as I should. I'm doing them once or twice a day and I think it's supposed to be more. And I'm not really even sure I'm doing them right. One is swallowing with your tongue between your teeth and when I try to do that with a little bit of water or tea in my mouth I end up choking on it. The other also makes me cough--swallowing and freezing midswallow when the muscle you can feel if you put your hand right under your chin contracts. I can do this if it's a dry swallow, but I'm not sure that's the same thing.

I guess maybe it will just take some time to make these exercises part of my life and I'm so worried they won't work and I'll never be able to swallow solids again. This has actually been one of the hardest things so far to deal with. Its not a possibility anyone really warned me about and I just can't imagine being stuck swallowing only liquids for the rest of my life.

Nelie