tounge flap and eating

thennies61
thennies61 Member Posts: 285
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi everyone.Just wanted to get some feedback.Was with my speach specialist today and went though with her as she talked to my surgen.We went over the things that were done during my operation.She said that when they graphed in the tounge flap it was attached to bottom of mouth.I already figured I wouldn't be sticking my tounge out anymore and moving it side to side is now out also.She is more or less now teaching me the new way to eat.But she did say would most likely get feeling and taste back to front of tounge in time.She wants me to start eating more and using the peg tube less to keep swallowing and use the muscles.Also has been showing me how massage neck and cheeks for when radiation starts.She had a guy come that is a trained to massage for our type of cance to help the lymph nodes that are gone now to help stop any scarring.Anyway are there any tips to our new why to eat.She has me taking the food to back of tounge instead front to help tounge get it down.Kind of surprized on thursady she wants to teach me how to start eating alittle more solid food like meat.And tommorrow get to finaly get on the dry run for radiation so things are pushing forward.

Comments

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #2
    wow, you've really got some

    wow, you've really got some learning to do.  who would have thought that we would have to learn such basic things as eating, swallowing, etc?  stuff we take for granted everyday.  cancer changes so much of us and who and what we were.  i know we are blessed to survive but sometimes, learning to accept the new us and the new way of life can be overwhelming.  i hope your rad tx go well and you get thru with very few side effects.  glad you finally get to eat but not sure about the meat.  it took me about a year to even try a chicken mcnugget....lol.  but then i'm a scardy cat.  wishing you the best with eating and hoping your taste comes back to normal.  i don't really have any tips but want you to know i'm wishing you the best with all that lies ahead for you.  please keep us posted.

    God bless,

    dj

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #3
    Great to be eating

    I'm glad to hear you get to start eating more.  I got to start one month after my surgery - and I was thrilled.  I had the PEG tube for 5 months (4 before the surgery), so eating was wonderful. 

    Be sure to do small bites - so you can control it better, and keep it from going down the wrong way.  That is one thing I don't have to worry about anymore (although I did get a pill stuck - and had to drink hot  tea to disolve it).

    Do you sill have the trach?  How are you handling that?  I must admit, when I had one, they were the worst 10 days of my life.  And as much as I hate having had a laryngectomy, it is much better than a trache :)

     

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    #4
    lornal said:

    Great to be eating

    I'm glad to hear you get to start eating more.  I got to start one month after my surgery - and I was thrilled.  I had the PEG tube for 5 months (4 before the surgery), so eating was wonderful. 

    Be sure to do small bites - so you can control it better, and keep it from going down the wrong way.  That is one thing I don't have to worry about anymore (although I did get a pill stuck - and had to drink hot  tea to disolve it).

    Do you sill have the trach?  How are you handling that?  I must admit, when I had one, they were the worst 10 days of my life.  And as much as I hate having had a laryngectomy, it is much better than a trache :)

     

    Everything has been in small

    Everything has been in small bites even pudding.Yesterday she had me take larger bites of puddling and apple sause.Also had me using the back of my mouth instead the of front of mouth.She said this way will help food slide down mouth better then trying to move it down as we one time did with tounge.Am enjoying eating more and more as it becomes easier.She wanted me to use peg tube as a back up and to start to use swallowing so as not to rely only peg.Still have trach in.Getting by with it but do have vocal cap on and doctor had me tape it.So hoping when I go back for a follow up he will take it out as he wanted to make sure I was swallowing but betting now it won't happen till after radiation in case of scarring.Am curious about the massage therapy.But my speach specialist says he is very good her mom and cousin go to him.He said he can get the fluid around lymph nodes moving in about 2 weeks instead of moving on thier own to other places.

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