Rita:

Keep working your jaw, its very important to avoid big problems. Ask your doc for tongue depressors and stack as many as possible in your mouth and hold that for 7 seconds 7 times per day. When you think you have a wide enough opening, slide in another one or two to stretch your jaw. Do this minimum 7 times per day. Its so important that you do this so you dont end up with trismus. I wish somebody had told me the importance of working my jaw. Here I am now only able to open my mouth 3 tongue depressors wide (about 1/2 a pinky finger). Ask your doc for a therabite, that will help you stretch your jaw, dont take no for an answer. Or in my case always being told to go ask a different doctor and not one would get a therabite for me even though I desperately needed it.


Pete:

Your flow rate is pretty high. I had started at 40 and moved up to 180 which was my max rate. Everytime I had problems with my feedings, I had to go back to 40 and start over trying to build up the rate. Which for me was many times that the feedings made me sick. It could have been the rate, the formula, or just basically having a weak stomach and sensitive digestive system. If you have alot of "throne time" try slowing the rate and watering down your formula.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile