Some of you have had one of these before. This morning was my first. They gave me a glass of a foamy drink and had me hold it in my mouth and then swallow when he told me to. I did not know that it was foamy until I got it in my mouth and I coughed a little after the first drink.

It was my understanding that we were going to do more that just this fluid. But, after he had me turn to my side and take one drink, he stopped and said that I asperated. I do not think that I did when I coughed. The bubbles tickled my nose and I did not feel any liquid or the need to keep coughing like I have when I did asperate before.

He did not do any more pictures with any more fluids and said that we were done.

Did I fail my swallow test??

I have to go to therapy for my sore neck and will check back in an hour or so. Thanks guys.

Can I move this to the Swallowing topic - I clicked the wrong forum and just caught it.

Patty

Silent aspiration ( which I too have) is very common in those that have been treated for our disease. You have no sense that some of what you are drinking is ending up in your lungs. It does not happen so much with solids just liquids. If this is bad enough, or you become bedridden where you cannot remain upright (the position in which your body can eliminate liquids from the lungs more easily) the outcome is eventually aspiration pneumonia.

Just because you do not feel it happening, does not mean that it is not happening.

I also have some silent aspiration. After my first swallow test, I was told to take nothing by mouth. 4 months of swallow therapy + Vitalstim and 2 swallow tests later I finally had the PEG tube removed last week, although with the caveat that I do continue to have a small amount of silent aspiration and will have to closely monitor my health.

I am curious to know how many others in my situation have actually developed pneumonia and did you continue to eat/drink by mouth after? I realize there is a certain amount of risk, but I'm an otherwise healthy 32 year old and I'm trying to stay as active as possible to compensate. In the past 7 mos I have had a few bouts of low-grade fever(lasting 8-12 hrs) that my docs have associated with the aspiration.

i have to be careful in the shower...it usually catches me off guard when the water goes down the wrong pipe

Patty
"Failing" the swallow test is a relative term. When I used it, I could not even get down a quarter teaspoon, let alone a full glass. Like yourself, I was puzzled when they abruptly said: you're done - get a PEG asap.
It was not until I had demanded my record file in trying to get the exact time that "transport" had dumped me in the basement hallway with the trash (turns out they keep no record of when transport picks you up or returns you), that I saw that I had "silent aspiration" even with that measly little quarter teaspoon. This is just a sharing anecdote as Brian has provided the correct clinical answer (no surprise there) Little by little we will prevail.

Ray

Here is a tip (or 2) ...... don't drink in the shower, and be very careful if you ever go into the surf !!! LOL

Karen

I had an overpowering urge the other day for some real food of any kind, even if I can't swallow -- I warmed up a very small amount of chicken broth and was able to swallow it, but some wound up coming out of my trach, so I wasn't swallowing -- Mark that self-test FAILED!

It did taste wonderful, however, meaning there's hope for me to enjoy food in the future!! I had some concern about that. I have a tiny bit of my original tongue left, complete with some (radiation-damaged) taste buds at the back of mobile tongue right where it bends to become BOT.

Thank you everyone - I understand this much better now. All of this time I have thought that I was really doing well with my swallowing and I can now conclude that I am, but that I still have to be very careful and pay attention to the aspiration (spelled correctly this time thanks guys - I am a spell check addict).

What upsets me is that because we did not move on to the thicker liquids I probably did not get an answer to whether my esophogas needs opened up or not.

The good news is that I had my first PT yesterday that included the light massage and stretching for the neck. I could feel a difference already and slept the entire night for the first time in many months. I go back 3X a week and am doing the exercises at home so I hope that I will see even more improvement. Karen I hope that you are right about it helping my swallowing too.

Pete - other than the fact that they removed part of your flap after this operation, we now have the same things to work with. I have just a little nub of my mobile tongue on the right and the base of the tongue. I am surprised at how many different tastes that I do have. Please be careful doing your self tests, even though I'm sure that you know what you are doing, I would hate for anything to happen to you.

Patty

It was a one-time event based on the fact that when I rinse with the normal saline solution, I thought I was swallowing some because I had a queasy feeling in my stomach -- That was a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I might be ready for a little taste -- Nope, not yet...