Swallowing Well

Since I had my esophagus stretched, swallowing is getting back to normal. I take almost normal size bites and need to be careful when swallowing. Since my salavary glands were fried by the radiation, I need to add some sort of liquid while chewing to any solid food. Then I can swallow it. My throat is still sore and swollen due to the stretching and exercising caused by the swallowing of food. I am not able to consume enough calories by mouth alone to maintain my weight. I am still using the feeding tube. I cut back the # of cans of Ensure Plus that is poured in the tube depending on the amount of food I eat. I am finding it hard to find any foods that have any taste or good taste to me. One day eggs may taste OK and the next, they have no taste. All cereals taste like cardboard. Steak, ham and chicken taste like nothing. Maybe someone besides myself should be doing the cooking. I feel like a kid in a candy shop tasting everything I can find, looking for something to taste good. The doctors say my taste will eventually return but will never be the way it once was. The time frame is one to five years for taste. I have been able to finish a beer in 45 minutes. My new goal is 30 minutes. Its nice to have goals. I had my first Captain Morgan and diet coke! Didn’t taste too good. I suffered through it. When I was halfway done, it tasted good. The second was even better. I just needed to reorient my taste buds.

I got some sad and disturbing news on Wednesday. My Mom was just diagnosed with lung cancer. We have a meeting with the doctors on Tuesday to find out more info and the treatment. Please keep her in your prayers.

Thank you all for your support and prayers

Randy