Swallowing exercises

Hey everyone just needed to remind again about SWALLOWING!

Newbies to dx and tx, poor T, Wolfen's Hubby, newly NEDS Phrannie, Bille, our NJShore, Duggie, matt,Skiffin,Donfoo,Roar and anyone I may have forgotten:

SWALLOW EXERCISES EVERYDAY! Even if eating, get it, got it, GOOD! Never stop, eating and swallowing isn't enough for all the changes your neck and thoart go through, whether form surgery(partial,modified,radical, partial rad dissections) tonsilectomies, tongue biopsys and just plain rads. Scarring tissue and other muscles trying to compensate constrict swallowing muscles, so stretch your neck open your mouth wide all of that even if it hurts. I read how a lot of you are on soft foods like mashed potatos. Let me tell you what its like if muscles freeze, take mashed potato drown in gravy of choice, mix in baby food applesauce, take 1/4 of teaspoon and swallow, take sip of real water or that yucky nectar water and swallow hard and the spit it all out, that's what happens.

Learn from me, I didn't know, they didn't know 12yrs ago, getting a peg tube again in my 13th year Ned and my 1yr old nephew eats food better than me.lol. I can't change my situation without working my thoart and neck like an athelete prepares for a marathon, but you can all stay ahead of it and not have it happen to you and that would make me utterly happy that because I scared the s..t out of you, you did your exercises.


God bless you all, my Friends,

Love each of you,

Rachel

Comments

  • Grandmax4
    Grandmax4 Member Posts: 723
    Wonderful reminder

    One year and five months out from cancer of the epiglottis...November 2, 2011, my epilotttis was removed by de vinci robot ~~I am now able to eat and swallow just about everything, lettuce is still a problem. Even tho my therepy is over, I still do the exercises for swallowing and for my voice every day..taking nothing for granted!

    Best wishes for a full recovery,

     

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    Grandmax4 said:

    Wonderful reminder

    One year and five months out from cancer of the epiglottis...November 2, 2011, my epilotttis was removed by de vinci robot ~~I am now able to eat and swallow just about everything, lettuce is still a problem. Even tho my therepy is over, I still do the exercises for swallowing and for my voice every day..taking nothing for granted!

    Best wishes for a full recovery,

     

    Rachel
    Such great advice! I've been doing swallow therapy for a few months now and I practice all the time everyday. Fourunately for me I have a background in the dental field so I was fully aware of what damages rads can cause. I wish the swallowing issues were more discussed and stressed throughout treatment.
    I hope your situation can be remedied and soon. Keep working girl. Maybe you will be a candidate for dilation? I just depends on where the issue is actually happening in the throat. I'd ask and see what they say.
    Take care,
    Billie
  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303
    Billie67 said:

    Rachel
    Such great advice! I've been doing swallow therapy for a few months now and I practice all the time everyday. Fourunately for me I have a background in the dental field so I was fully aware of what damages rads can cause. I wish the swallowing issues were more discussed and stressed throughout treatment.
    I hope your situation can be remedied and soon. Keep working girl. Maybe you will be a candidate for dilation? I just depends on where the issue is actually happening in the throat. I'd ask and see what they say.
    Take care,
    Billie

    What happened?

    I thought you posted that you were swallowing again!

  • DCH21
    DCH21 Member Posts: 33

    What happened?

    I thought you posted that you were swallowing again!

    Hello All !Could someone

    Hello All !

    Could someone please recommend some web sites that teach swallowing exercises ?

     

    Thanks,

    DennisSmile

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    Thank you Rachel. My husband

    Thank you Rachel. My husband will be starting rad tx soon and I've seen several posts on how important it is to keep swallowing.  Someone named 'Marine' posted information on how to perform gentle massage and throat stretching exercises found on another site. I'll see if I can find it and repost it.

    Hugs and Blessings.

    Jude

  • Roar
    Roar Member Posts: 269 Member
    Makes sense

    I have been progressing steadily when all of a sudden it seems I took a step backwards- eating ans swallowing seems to gotten worse the last two weeks. I developed some sores at the back of the roof of my mouth. I was thinking maybe allergies but it is hard to tell. We're can I learn the throat exercises?

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    DCH21 said:

    Hello All !Could someone

    Hello All !

    Could someone please recommend some web sites that teach swallowing exercises ?

     

    Thanks,

    DennisSmile

    Hi Dennis,
    I read an earlier

    Hi Dennis,

    I read an earlier post from 'MarineE5' who gave some really good instructions on swallowing and neck stretching exercises. I don't know how to repost, but if you could contact him, I'm sure he'd be able to send you the information.

    Take care. God Bless.

    Jude

  • Ruben and Jude
    Ruben and Jude Member Posts: 155
    DCH21 said:

    Hello All !Could someone

    Hello All !

    Could someone please recommend some web sites that teach swallowing exercises ?

     

    Thanks,

    DennisSmile

    Hi Dennis, I did a little

    Hi Dennis, I did a little more research and found the information on throat exercises un the Super Threat; click on the SuperThread site at the top of the board and scroll down to PRODUCTS AND TIPS, you'll see the link there.

    Best Wishes.

    Jude

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435

    What happened?

    I thought you posted that you were swallowing again!

    George,
    Thank you for

    George,

    Thank you for concern, I am not aspirating at this point, but still trying to retrain muscles. To date I am only eating in therapy sessions, and allowed small sips of water at home to keep from getting hernia from coughing, jk on hernia but not coughing!

    Thanks friend,

    Rachel