Hi Lesie,
Katrina has been PMing me on a bunch of questions she had about the surgery. Although she has a temporary trach now because she has blockage from scar tissue in the esophagus. What she is really looking for a way to avoid having the surgery that I had. I asked her to open her own thread in hopes that someone else had had blcokage of the esophagus from scar tissue resulting from radiation that didn't require total laryngectomy. I remember Marliz had photo dynamic therapy on the esophagus but don't remember exactly what the stricture was and can't seem t find the string.

Here is one of the PMs I received from Katrina.

I had tongue cancer and the radiation built up scar tissue above my voice box so my airway and food pipe is blocked I had a trach put in in April. It is suppose to be temporary but my doc does not know what to do about the situation he said more scar tissue is growing and he does not know why. He wants it to stablize he really does not want to do a laryngectomy. I go to university hospital. I do not want it done because I was an avid swimmer till I got sick. I love to swim and this procedure would end that. I am afraid of not talking to. I am going to Johns Hopkins for another opinion Can you eat anything you want? Why did you have it done? I had a speech therapist come to my house to help me with swallowing excercises. She was telling me of the prothesis that goes from your espohogus to the stoma so you can talk. My doc says this is a difficult surgery.

If anyone has any suggestions, please respond on this thread.

Take care,
Eileen