The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
First the good. I had a test yesterday that shows in real time what happens when you swallow. If anything leaks into the lungs it is instantly apparent. 99.9% of what I swallowed wound up in my stomach. That's a real improvement over the last time and they cleared me to have soups (pureed) and semi-solids like yogurt, jello, pudding, etc. Our goal is for me to be self-sufficient (no feeding tube) within 30 days.
The bad. I have all of a sudden started draining from my sinuses an amazing amount of flem (for lack of a better word). Might be mucous but is much thicker consistency than what i dealt with before. Anyway, it is just filling my throat and by extension my stomach from swallowing it and causing nausea and choking. Not fun.
The Ugly. My sense of smell has gotten incredibly acute. Every bad odor you can think of is multiplied by 10X. I can't get near a trash can. Jennifer made a smoothie this morning using greens of some kind for her "healthy breakfast" and it made me gag from 10 feet away. I don't know if it works on good smells yet as I haven't come across any but the bad, well hopefully this can't last.
Well that's it boys and girls. More to follow.
J.
Comments
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Joe
Joe,
Great news on the swallow test! Can't help with "the bad" as I dodged a bullet when it came to mucous. As for the ugly, are you sure you aren't pregnant?
Actually, the smell of alcahol stands out to me, even though I'm not much of a drinker. Hopefully, the bad smells will pass.0 -
Joe,
Great news! I had my
Joe,
Great news! I had my second swallow study yesterday too, and nothing went in my wind pipe, eithher it went in stomach or little had to be coughed then swallowed. Not graduated yet, but my light at the end of tunnel is shinning bright. While your eating real food, like chocolate pudding, toast one to me still fighting!
My sense of smell has been acute since treatment all those yrs ago, however since peg in Dec I would say stronger, although I am not gagging like you, I just pick it up faster then anyone else, like when pilot light goes out on fireplace, I can smell the gas in an instant.
I am just soooooooooooo happy for you, take it slow and enjoy what we once took for granted. You gave me even more hope that maybe in several months I might be where you are now!
Congrats Joe!
Rachel0 -
Yeeeeahhhhh on the swallow test!!
Won't be long before you get to chuck that tube in the garbage can (that little apparatus being gone is up there with getting to haul your mask home never to wear it again)....
I dodged the bullet on the mucous, too....but from hearing from everybody else I know it's a misery. Did you try the Musinex again? Vectroama just posted that he used Wal-Act he got from Walmart....said it worked great.
http://csn.cancer.org/node/256388
As for bionic smell......oh gawd yes! I told my husband that when we were outside, I could put my German Shepherd to shame.....any lost babies? Let me sniff them out.....I swore I could find the trail and follow it.
p
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Awesome news
Mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, yogurt are good soft foods too...keep doing the exercises, soon, you'll be swallowing your new way and not even thinking about it..took me a year, but I eat anything now...
Oh Lord, the mucus, try a nettie pot, that helps
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Could it beGrandmax4 said:Awesome news
Mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, yogurt are good soft foods too...keep doing the exercises, soon, you'll be swallowing your new way and not even thinking about it..took me a year, but I eat anything now...
Oh Lord, the mucus, try a nettie pot, that helps
a sinus infection. If the drainage is yellowish or greenish, it's a good possibility. Right now, I am on 2antibiotics to get rid of a sinus infection. Before I started the meds, I was getting a foul odor at times coming from the infection.
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ThanksGeorge_Baltimore said:Could it be
a sinus infection. If the drainage is yellowish or greenish, it's a good possibility. Right now, I am on 2antibiotics to get rid of a sinus infection. Before I started the meds, I was getting a foul odor at times coming from the infection.
It is yellowish. I'll call the Doc tomorrow.
J.
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My fav...Grandmax4 said:Awesome news
Mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, yogurt are good soft foods too...keep doing the exercises, soon, you'll be swallowing your new way and not even thinking about it..took me a year, but I eat anything now...
Oh Lord, the mucus, try a nettie pot, that helps
When I was on soft foods (still am to a degree), Marcia made a wonderful combination of home made mashed potatoes, scambled eggs and cheese, lots of butter and whole milk. It's become a favorite of mine and probably will remain so long after teatment
"T"
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Grade A!
Joe,
So happy to hear that you passed the test.. that had to be so frustrating not to be able to enjoy even a little food by mouth. So glad you are no longer on the side lines, and back in the game!
Wow, hope Dan skips the smell sensitivity! Benedryl might just be what you need to dry up that mucous. Dan just took a bendryk/steroid combo for 6 days and it's amazing how it took down his swelling and opened his throat up. He ate bagel! And lots of food since, You also might want to have the doctor take a look and make sure there's no sinus infection.
Keep us posted and keep doing so well!
Kari
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Scratch & Sniff ......NJShore said:Grade A!
Joe,
So happy to hear that you passed the test.. that had to be so frustrating not to be able to enjoy even a little food by mouth. So glad you are no longer on the side lines, and back in the game!
Wow, hope Dan skips the smell sensitivity! Benedryl might just be what you need to dry up that mucous. Dan just took a bendryk/steroid combo for 6 days and it's amazing how it took down his swelling and opened his throat up. He ate bagel! And lots of food since, You also might want to have the doctor take a look and make sure there's no sinus infection.
Keep us posted and keep doing so well!
Kari
My five kids range in age from 2 - 14 ...TRUST me I can smell the four boys and even my daughter before they get off the bus on the way home from school. And my 2 year old who is almost, but not quite out of diaper yet....oh boy can I smell that right out the gate!!! My wife actually gets a little freaked out about my sense of smell....
Best,
Tim
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The GBU....
First, glad to hear the swallowing test went well.
Second, the sinus drainage is very familiar. Kreg had the never ending, thick drainage coming out of his nose...sometimes it would need to have a helping hand coming out or sometimes get runny and just come out unexpectedly. This was all along with the heavy mucus in the mouth. It will get better...
Third, the SMELL! Wow...Kreg complained of the yucky smells..including a smell of sulfer all the time. shortly after tx stopped, it disappeared.
Hang in there....
~C
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The order....Skiffin16 said:Good, Bad and Ugly...
Oh, whew.....
I thought this was a thread about Cris, Matt and me..., LOL...
Hang in there bro..., maybe the sinus fluids are just a start for your saliva kicking in...
Best,
John
John....I just need to ask....Do you have the names in the same order that your title is? ...just wonderin'...LOL
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Strategically Positioned...cureitall66 said:The order....
John....I just need to ask....Do you have the names in the same order that your title is? ...just wonderin'...LOL
Yes, I thought carefully so as not to offend.... (matt), LOL...
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