still not able to swallow

paintmatt

Finished treatment aug 13th  getting better in a lot of ways  my problem is i am still not able to swallow nothing not water not even dry swallow almost likei frogot how   

they have giving me swallowing execerisesbut having trouble because they want me to swallow it feels like there is so much junk stuck in my throat feels like it has glued it shut

the nurses tell me to be patince but it is hard hoping someone else has gone trew this and has some type of solution  any help would be great thankyou Matt

wbcgaruss

Well Matt

Here are my 2 cents. I had throat cancer with lots of chemo and 35 rads. My speech therapist which I had from the start gave me swallowing exercises to do even during my treatments. She told me if I do not do these I may forget how to swallow and may have to relearn how to swallow all over again. I said to her I thought swallowing was a natural reaction you couldn't lose. Not the case you can be in a situation where you have to learn how to swallow again. Do you feel like you are swallowing mechanically that is does it feel like a normal swallow but your throat may be swelled shut yet from the radiation and swelling. So if it is closed enough that nothing can go through you can try swallowing all you want it can't get through. Has your ENT been checking you every month? When I was finished with the treatment my ENT wanted to see me every month and scoped me every time. You should be seeing him and he can probably shed some light on this. I can tell you from experience I was doing my swallowing exercises because I did not want to risk learning to swallow again. As I progressed well into treatment and got further into radiation treatments my throat was swelling up from radiation and was closed so I could try to swallow but could get nothing through. At this point, I was on a feeding tube for everything. Food, water, meds, etc. nothing could be swallowed not even a little water. I tried to swallow probably thinking I could force it through but when it's swelled shut below from radiation you can be able to swallow physically but you will get nothing to go through. It's hard to remember exact time periods and I felt too crappy to keep a log of every day although starting out I wanted to. But I think it is safe to say I spent at least 3-4 months I think probably a little more completely feeding tube dependent not being able to swallow anything. I started treatment in January and sometime in between there could not swallow through anymore because of throat swelling from radiation and I could finally swallow and eat enough to maintain my weight by October. I would recommend you see your ENT or listen to the people that are telling you to be patient as they know what is going on in your case and probably have experience treating hundreds of head and neck cases just like yours or very similar. Not their first rodeo. This treatment is not like a cold and it is gone in a week or two. The recovery from most H & N cases is measured in WEEKS & MONTHS not days and weeks so you must be patient and give you body time to heal and come back into shape from an onslaught of chemicals and radiation burns. I think when you try to swallow and you say it feels like junk stuck in your throat and it's glued shut it is probably swelled shut yet from the radiation. So it can be only 2 things I think either your throat is too swelled from radiation yet or you really do need to learn to swallow. Above all lean on your care team, they are there to help and have plenty of experience and training. So really you need to be patient as your body will only heal so fast and your swallowing will come back in time. I was like you will I ever be able to swallow again? It will come don't worry. One of the sayings on here is NEGU (Never Ever Give Up). Wishing you the best, hope some of what I said help, ask questions if you want, Take Care-God Bless-Russ

wbcgaruss

Also One More Thing

Here is a link to a page covering radiation therapy to the head and neck and swallowing from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center---

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/radiation-therapy-head-and-neck-swallowing

 

SuzJ

Honestly

You are not that far out from treatment, and those are really the worst weeks. it DOES get better, hang in there

OKCnative

This is the #1 reason I

This is the #1 reason I refused a PEG. Far too many people had told me it would make returning to normal swallowing very difficult. I was actually pretty disappointed in my cancer center for trying so hard to persuade me to have a PEG. While I was on liquids-only during part of my treatment, I always swallowed my protein and calories. Within two weeks of treatment ending I was in a Mexican restaurant eating chips and salsa with no issues. So, I throw that out there for others doing research early on in their diagnosis.

That said, I have known many people in your boat. It takes time. The exercises are absolutely critical for a full recovery. Find any type of food you can manage to swallow and eat it consistently until you can upgrade to firmer foods. Most people I know started with mashed potatoes, yogurt, runny eggs, etc.

Good Luck!

Logan51

paintmatt

From One who is FT-dependent for 14-months and the rest of my life due to Rad damage to esophagus opening/scar tissue growth and aspiration, keep with the swallowing exercises. I tried, hoping for some improvement, but the exercises only aggravated my Rad damage to the sides of my throat and Ulnar nerve on the left side. I still try to swallow melted ice cubes by lowering my chin towards my chest when swallowing, but I can't help but figure a lot is going into my lungs by what I cough up. Hoping for improvement for you.