Speech Therapy session today:

Hi Rachel,

You echo what I was told by my friend that's been through this. He's now 18 month NED. As you've said and he has told me. You're going to learn exercises to keep your swallowing mechanisms in tact and to keep your jaw from tightening//closing. No matter what, DO THEM! It's like hydration. Skip them and you'll be in trouble down the line. Part of my team is a language/speech pathologist. I have a meeting with her the week of the 18th. I, as well as Marcia, will be learning massage and stretching techniques and other exercises that will help prevent some of the long term issues you've described. 

That being said, it seems you've been given quite a task! One that will require determination and diligence. Based on what you've shared about yourself, both are qualities you obviously possess in abundance. Considering what you've already been through, I have the feeling you're going to kick some tush! 

Positive vibes and prayers coming your way! 

"T"

Rachel, glad to hear so far so good with you.  When I read your e-mail today it made me go back and think what the ENT told me one day when I had a check up.  I was not in the best of mood for difficult to speak and eating a major problem for still had the peg tube. Since speaking was difficult wrote him a note.  He was preparing to scope my throat and laid down his equipement and said "Roger in this office we think positive and from this day on you do the same"  Since 06 I think of that  a lot and how true it is with all of us in this boat.  Your situation is somewhat like mind and it has been a yearly battle.  Seem like we put out one fire and at times two more pop up. I have read your previous e-mails and in my opinion you have the fight to hang in there with all of us on the battle field.  Howeve, sometimes when it seems things can't get worse they do and that is where the real fight in the person will surface.  An example for me being just when I thought things were doing some better to where I could enjoy living after 20 years of marriage back in 09 she ask for a divorce.  Mentally, that was very very hard to understand when I had beat the odds with cancer so far.  Financially, I had gotten all the expenses paid and being debt free was not an issue.  The rad. doctor mentioned to me that is kind of unsual for normally marriage problems surface at the start of it all.  The moral of all this the problems that stem from it all yes Rachel may be once again at the bottom of the mountain but she can gradually make it to the top.  May even be some set backs along the way but she will master all of them. Roger 

rachel12yrsuv said:

Peggy,
That was a very nice
Peggy,

That was a very nice thing to say, thank you so much! I love how everyone supports each other here, I just hope I help someone someday!

and you do ! I don't post much because I am not as good with words and writing like most of the people on this board also don't have the knowledge that they have but I too hope I can help others on here one day . Just wish I would have found these wonderful people before I finished my Radiation treatments . I told the people at my Onc office about this site, hoping they will tell others about it .