OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 126 | Hi Larryb,
Thank you for your reply. I am happy to hear about your positive experience with your dilations and the great improvement in swallowing.
Our doctor is so extremely busy that he never spends much time with us explaining anything. I did not know that the results are dependent upon where the scar tissue is. I will make sure to ask him. In our case the effect of the dilations have lasted for a few days. But after the second one the effect did last for a couple of weeks. Then the esophagus closes again.
The problem is that after the procedure she gets violently sick with nausea and vomiting and we have to go back to the CCC to get IVs for hydration and anti-nausea medication for two to three days. Her throat is sore and it takes her a least a week to recover.
I am wondering if we started the dilations too early. She had her first about six months after end of treatments.
Vin
CG to wife;
Jan 2005 DX SCC Tongue T2N1MO; RND surgery Mar 2005; 35 XRT and 4 cisplatin completed Jul 2005.
Dec 2006 tongue surgery, Scar tissue no cancer.
Feb 2010 neck node FNA - negative.
2010 ORN right jaw plus fracture
2015 ORN left jaw plus fracture
Feb 2016 Lower jaw reconstruction by Fibula free flap+titanium plate - Permanent G-tube
June 2016 Difficulty breathing - Permanent Trachea tube
Dec 2019 DX Cervical cancer - Stage 1 - Surgery Jan 16 2020.
15-20 esophagus/larynx dilations
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