neck, lung + post rad vent & question

Hello, i havent been around for ages so im going to check in with a vent , gripe and question.

We were just into our 3 month post neck rads. Wifeys neck burns healed really well. Though food tasted like garbage, the mouth sores seemed to be clearing and were almost gone as an issue, believe it or not.

But then, swallowing became difficult , post rad stricture possibly. She was out walking every day,; we were 3 weeks away from pet and could finally and possibly deal with with a small lung mass that showed up on her previous pet. (It was decided to Radiate neck first and then lung.)

We investigated the possibility of dilation and we did a video-flouroscopy barium swallow test to check the severity of the stricture as well as to see whether we could in fact have a dilation so close to post rads. The first swallow went down with some coughing and then she was instructed to take a cup size gulp.

She expressed her reservation at doing this saying that she "usually drinks with a straw", having undergone 2 partial laryn(pharingial)gectomies. cos swallowing is difficult, and aspiration common. But she "succumbed" and then had a MASSIVE aspiration which left her gasping and coughing. One day later, pains in her chest, and shortness of breath. x-ray showed barium filled lungs. This was followed by lung infection and hospitalization for 11 days, antibiotics etc. I cannot tell you how unbelievably irate she was . Then she was released home with oxygen and a week later back to hospital and worsened infection for another 5 days . 20 days later she had a bronchioscope under anaethetic which proved very difficult , resulting in a plummeting drop in saturation and she went into intensive care unit fighting to save her lung form total collapse!

This has been so unbeleiveable because obviously radiating the squamus on the lung is just not on the cards at the moment & its been there waiting to be radiated for 5.5 months! .

After much work and strength sapping efforts, + 4.5 kg weight loss, she breathed her way out if there and is now back at home and trying to exercise daily but still basically o2 dependant adn peaks at 95% saturation.

Neck PET showed nothing new except for the known lung squamus, and also an unexplained "spot" in the pharynx which they said they knew about previousely( though we didnt!)but cannot be checked cos they dont want to risk another aenaesthetic.

SHe did a lung check, and her lung function is really low and there is still slight infection.
In addition she has developed a kind of asthmatic breathing issue, which she feels is completely disturbing her ability to a'walk out" the lung infection adn blocked bronchii form the aspiration.She is now on steroids/chortisone treatment (tablets and inhaler).

She would like to ask whether anyone has had this kind of effect.
Take care to all my friends
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