Surgery--Again

Thomas, The One True Vey? You deserve some kinda prize for that.

I will be schlepping back and forth to the hospital a lot for the next few weeks. When things die down, I'll make you some matzo brei. Hey, it's a lot easier than chopped liver--and not nearly as good.

Now that sounds like a plan - and Thomas has a camera - WE'LL NEED PICS OF COURSE!!!!!!!!!

Boida - hugging ya big goil and gonna try and post some pics later on - ohhhhhh....... the little frog prince visited - boy - do they have long legs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wabbit has been officially named........... we had a vote

it coulda been Wussel........ or Woger... but...

drum roll....

" WOBBIE " <oh my, you have namesake!> laughs.... 4 paws of fortune hopping around! (even if one is a wobbly wobbie paw)

Hey Goil...

soooooooooooo..........how did it go? any answers forthcoming........? any sounds....... even a little one yet????????????

x

I had to cancel the appointment. It's rescheduled for next Wed. Still no sound.

Had to stop taking the antidepressant the psychiatrist prescribed. Side effects.

I'll let you know what happens after I see the doctor on Wed.

Spring has sprung like crazy around here.

Amen to that, Soz. Dys knows all too well, having worked in the fields of child welfare and mental health. His mantra is "Be prepared to have to apply three or four times, or more. The first application is always turned down." I wonder if it is a money saving trick welfare offices use? Could be, I hope, that the lawyer will have a lawyerly map, showing the way through the chaos of the social security system.

Waiting for good news on Wednesday, Boidy.

I waited four hours yesterday. Four hours! A new record--and one I hope is never broken.

I saw a good doctor. He remembered me from June, when this whole thing started. I was impressed. He sees hundreds of people. But he remembered me.

He looked down my throat and said everything looks good. Then why can't I talk? He froze my throat with some foul tasting stuff and looked again.

Dry mouth is a side effect of radiation. Although it may improve a bit over time, it's permanent. My mouth is so dry that stuff has caked up on my larynx, which prevents it from vibrating. Vibration is necessary for speech.

An answer! But what about a solution? Not so sure there. I must drink lots more water. I'm already drinking lots, but now I gotta drink more. Okey dokey. He also gave me a prescription, which might or might not increase my supply of saliva. It may or may not be carried by Bellevue. I'll find out tomorrow. I checked with my drugstore. It carries the scrip, but it's tres expensive. Not sure what I'm gonna do.

He also wants me to get a PET scan to get a look at the whole area, not just the area that's visible with the camera. I'll find out about this tomorrow (cost, date, etc.).

I have still not gotten an answer from Medicaid, so price is an issue on everything. I checked with the Medicaid guy. Doctors are slow in providing needed info. It's more than four months since I applied!

I did not ask the doctor what will happen if the water and pills don't work. This question went in and out of my head. (Annoyed at myself for this.) Maybe I'm better off not knowing at this point. Let's see what happens. Then I can worry about what comes next if there is a next.

Sighing and slurping H2O. But also glad to have an answer about talking.

Reckon anyone who met ya wouldn't be able to forget you gal


Glad you got some answers. Yep - I'd go with not thinking too much about "what if's" - you have no control over that - pants - but, the way it is.

Slurp away Boida - keep slurping!

Sounds like you could do with a big supply of really good lemon drops. They always help with the saliva production.

These are my favorites.



The site has several other flavors if you aren't yet able to handle the acid in the lemons. Those pear and blackberry ones are excellent too.

http://www.chocolat.com/browseproducts/Cavendish-and-Harvey-Sour-Lemon-Drops.HTML

Cavendish and Harvey Coffee Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Butterscotch Candies - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Mixed Fruit Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Multi Vitamin Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Pear and Blackberry Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Sour Cherry Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)
Cavendish and Harvey Sour Lemon Drops - Net wt 7oz (200g)

I was thinking similarly, Butrflynet - I've been taking cough drops lately, so I thought of them - regarding something that might keep the area wetter than running water by it. But then I thought... that just might mean that the cough or candy drop liquid would just dry and cake and be worse than water.

I wonder what happened when you COULD talk for a weeny bit?

Were you drinking/eating anything in particular?

I started talking before the dryness hit. Once it did, I stopped.

I can't take lemon drops or any other sucking candy--with sugar or sugar substitutes. They make me choke. But thanks for the suggestion.

I keep an unfizzy lemon water at my desk at work to fight off the dryness. I find the lemon water is more saliva-inducing than straight water. Can you add a few drops of lemon/sugar to your water as you're going along - more palatable and more "spit-making".

Well, bugger.


Keep wet dollink@!!!

When I was singing, I was told to drink WARM water...not tap temperature.

My throat was often dry...and this did help.

I wonder if gargling would help with the dryness. What I'm thinking is that if you are drinking too much, you might run into problems with electrolytes.

Just one of those random thoughts.

Singing? Singing what? Jake the Peg?

No.

Never Jake the Peg.

I saved that for you.

Lemon and sugar make me choke, but I might be able to manage a few drops of lemon. I shy away from sugar. Too much gagging. Did I ever tell you about the time when I nearly passed out from choking when I ate a raisin. ONE RAISIN. Did I mention how I coughed and choked for a full ten minutes when I sucked on a Lifesaver for a few seconds.

I don't know if gargling would help, but I doubt it. It doesn't go back far enough to reach the larynx.

And thanks, roger. I can now add electrolytes to my list of things to worry about.

Sorry if I sound ungracious when you guys are trying to be helpful. But I'm very frustrated--and limited in what I can eat/drink/do.

http://www.drymouth.info/consumer/TreatmentForDM.asp

Thanks for the link, bethie. I read it and printed it out.

I do or have tried almost everything listed except for the olive/cherry pit thing. I'll give that a try.

The two medications listed were the ones prescribed for me. I can take my pick of whichever one is available. However the doctor told me that his patients have not had much success with them.