cant open mouth

 Greg,

Welcome to the H&N forum, where frustration is shared by all of us (to a degree).  Personally, I did not have opening mouth problems to the extent you have described. I am surprised you were not given some exercises or physical therapy.  I did have tongue and neck surgery, but my complications were minor and short term.

I have read about your condition, so let’s hang tight and hope someone chimes in.

Matt

I have the same problem; I can only get my mouth open 21mm. The doctor did not think I was going to survive so he did not see any reason to get me some help with any thing. Here I am 8½ years latter and it is hell to get anything done to my mouth. June 3 I will be in surgery to get tooth number 32 pulled, surgery not a dentist office.

OK so here is what you need to start doing. Ask your doctor to proscribe Physical Therapy for you after the radiation treatment is finish. Also ask your doctor and see if he will also proscribe a TheraBite or something like it and start using it as soon as you feel like you can; with your doctor permission. Never do anything with out asking your On-cal man (doctor) first. 

Oh and most important of all pray about it, if you need any help my e-mail is on my About Me page.

God Bless

Hondo

JohnG1961 said:

cant open mouth

Thank you Hondo for getting back to me, and most of all thanks for proving your doctors wrong good to still have you here.I am thankfull that I am so stubborn I wont let anybody tell me I cant do it or it cant be done.

in my prayers

John

I'm the same way - tell me it can't be done and then get out of my way while I do it, John.

This time recognize it's not going to be quick, though, if you want it done right.

You don't want to damage what has been done to save your life so do this the right way.  Go back to your doctor and tell him/her you want help with this and demand he provide it.

Speech therapist, as suggested before, is going to help but I believe there are other things you can do.

March 2013 is not very long ago - do they say you are competely healed from the surgery?

Hi John,

Sorry to hear about your mouth. As soon as my husband started treatment for his tonsilar cancer (with one positive lymph node), we began what I call "physical therapy" on his jaw. He uses a small plastic bottle, insertis it into his mouth for about 5 seconds, then removes it and repeats this about 5 - 10 times per session. Maybe you can start with something small, like a thick pen, then slowly graduate to something larger.  I picture the jaw like a rubberband, tightening up, once you start to stretch it loosens up.

I hope this helps. Also, at the top of the board topics is something called "super thread", click on that link. That's where I found info. about something called L-glutamine (which in my opinion has been invaluable) and jow/mouth exercises.

I pray your journey doesn't steal your joy.

God Bless.

Jude

Ruben and Jude said:

physical therapy

Hi John,

Sorry to hear about your mouth. As soon as my husband started treatment for his tonsilar cancer (with one positive lymph node), we began what I call "physical therapy" on his jaw. He uses a small plastic bottle, insertis it into his mouth for about 5 seconds, then removes it and repeats this about 5 - 10 times per session. Maybe you can start with something small, like a thick pen, then slowly graduate to something larger.  I picture the jaw like a rubberband, tightening up, once you start to stretch it loosens up.

I hope this helps. Also, at the top of the board topics is something called "super thread", click on that link. That's where I found info. about something called L-glutamine (which in my opinion has been invaluable) and jow/mouth exercises.

I pray your journey doesn't steal your joy.

God Bless.

Jude

You are so right about the jaw being like a rubberband the more you stretch it the bigger it will get. Radiation damages the muscles in the jaw so the soon you get then stretched back the better.

In my case I waited way too long almost 4 years after my treatment and by that time the damage to the muscles was done. But I keep working at it because I don’t believe in the impossible. I live with a PEG tube for live I am told because I can’t swallow, for a lot of people this is a problem but to me it is just another part of life. When my wife and I go out to eat we order our food, when it comes I put it all in my little blender with some water and put it down my tube. Sometimes our bodies are not the same after treatment but that does not mean we stop living. There is always a way and by the grace of God we will find it and enjoy living once again.

Still in Gods workshop

Hondo