Unexpected Good News

I had my monthly checkup with my surgeon today. There was something I had to tell him to get his opinion.

I found a water swallow test on the Net at a medical web site that's been very good. I trust info there. The test is simple. Drink some water. Did you cough? No - you pass. Yes - you fail. Then I applied something I remember from my one appointment with my speech therapist: Had I ever tried eating or drinking with my head in a different position - like pointing my chin toward the injured side of my neck and lowering it?

In a normal swallow - I failed the test, so I got more water, turned my head to the right and lowered my chin. That worked. No cough at all.

Over the weekend I tested my new swallowing position with tea, beer, and coffee. All were successful. No coughing. So, I fessed up to my doc and told him I had been cheating a bit.

I thought I was going to get the stern speech and reprimand. Instead, my doc was ecstatic.

When my doc was in training, one of the two doctors he worked with used the swallow test I had found and had his patients try different head positions until they found a way to swallow successfully.

I am now cleared to take all fluids by mouth. Encouraged is a better word than cleared. Ordered by the doc is probably still more accurate. Plus, he wants me to start trying some eating. He recommended starting with puddings. I'm supposed to try anything and everything. If I cough, stop eating that food until there's more healing.

Then he inspected my throat and ended up sticking his finger down my throat as far as he could reach. He said everything he could feel was normal tissue and previously that area had been mostly scar tissue. Maybe that's involved in my improved swallowing and talking.

I will fail the barium swallow test Wednesday (two days from when this was written). They won't let me "trick" the test by holding my head in a certain position. That will give my speech therapist information on exactly where and how my swallow leaks into my lungs when I swallow in a normal position. Then she can devise exercises to strengthen the muscles involved and gain flexibility where it's needed.

I imagine scar tissue is still involved in my swallowing. Many medical procedures leave scar tissue that must be broken down before a full range of motion can be achieved. It's just a bit different to think in terms of exercising your tongue to break down the scar tissue as opposed to exercising a shoulder to remove scar tissue from a medical procedure there.