Surgery--Again

keep talking..

damn system.

(((B)))

surely there is more...

(cream of wheat sounds good. from a distance of course)

Izzie, The asthma acted up before all this began as a result of anxiety. The asthma is a problem now because I haven't been able to take any of my meds. I've resumed them slowly. And I'm using my nebulizer. (For those who remember, the Gregorian chanting resumes.)

I think I'm gonna take a nap. Thinking about what solids I'll eat next. Not hungry, but a goil's gotta eat.

Even I, apostate anonymousulla, still has some gregorian chant on hand.

There's more than one nightmare?

Thank heavens you sobbed loudly! So sorry you HAD to.

Oh boy.

Apologies...

I didn’t explain myself well...or what I was attempting to say.

I think (sometimes) that any surgery causes one to have a fear (conscious or subconsciously) of whether or not the part of the body operated on is going to hurt after... and especially until results are known (when good results are known, complications often improve - it's a part of the brain we have little or no control over, I believe). I don’t believe the brain can numb the psychological part of any operation or the fear of the unknown – when you cut a part or medically intervene on any part of the body, there is a fear of “will it hurt after” and this can CAUSE physical problems... tightening of the throat may be a physical reaction to “fluids”... or the operation itself may have numbed part of the "free fluid" reflex - hence the gagging or not going down.

I was reading up earlier on dysphagia – not that I’m saying this is a long-term medical dx for Boida because this is a post-surgery complication – but just in general. My thoughts of how the brain works are simply my thoughts and not related to anything I’ve read - in other words, I'm waffling out loud.

However

Types of dysphagia
There are two types of dysphagia:
• swallowing difficulties caused by problems with the mouth or throat (oropharyngeal or high dysphagia)
• swallowing difficulties caused by problems with the oesophagus (oesophageal or low dysphagia)


“To minimise the risk of aspiration and choking, dysphagia treatment in adults may involve textural modification of both food and drink. Liquids will often need to be thickened while solid foods may need to be pureed or softened. It is often assumed that water and other liquids are easier for patients with dysphagia to swallow, but in reality they present a unique challenge – as they can flow freely through the mouth and into the airways. This adds to the importance of modifying the texture of liquids to keep patients adequately hydrated. This can easily be achieved using appropriate thickening agents such as Resource ThickenUp.”

With the worsening of the asthma and/or on a psychological level (of which I have no expertise) of not having the results yet, I wonder whether "swallowing" (the throat being operated on) is due to the free flow of the liquid – as opposed to cream of wheat which is thickened.

The swallow reflex is just that, a reflex. However, swallowing solids (semi-solids) uses different muscles and different neurological mechanisms than fluids.

I don’t know jacksy about this stuff – just trying to come up for a reason why semi-solids go down (when ERdoc can’t see a problem or come up with explanation but Boida KNOWS it is happening and it's a real problem) but fluids are more of a problem for our Boida and wondering if the asthma is somehow related. I hope this isn’t causing more concern, I'd hate be giving you cause for concern Boida.


Boida – I hope you that you’ve had a good sleep and the symptoms improve very soon. xx


<starts gregorian chant>

Not napping yet. Didn't sob loudly for attention. Sobbed loudly from the heart. Hard for me to remember this, which is why I was reluctant to spill.

I think about that news again--surgery cancelled--and tear up again.

Izzie, I understand totally. Of course, I entered the whole thing with fear, which of course affects the body physically.

But I've been dealing with swallowing problems for so long that I didn't associate the two.

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it. You are one good kid. You explained yourself just fine. I'm not exactly clear-headed.

Gonna make another attempt at a nap.

Oh Boida....I know you sobbed from the heart.....I can't imagine how awful it must have been to think, after all the awfulness of preparing to face the damn biopsy, that it would be cancelled AGAIN and you would have to deal with all the fear and awfulness again. Of course you sobbed from the deepest part of yourself.

I'm just glad that doing so made a difference.

Roberta, I went back to the early days of this thread and made notes of the foods you said worked and didn't work when you had problems with swallowing after the radiation.

Hope this helps you find something that might work this time. The list is in chronological order so those later in the list were what you were able to tolerate later in the healing process.

pudding, especially chocolate
clear soup
chicken soup
apple sauce
scrambled eggs
spaghetti pasta with butter
melon
latkes
gingerale - slightly de-carbonated
smoked whitefish

no rice
no ice cream
no crushed ice
no carbonated drinks
no citrus

Sorry it's all so hard, (((( Boida )))).

Wishing you peace of mind and improved health.

I just reread this. Can't thank you enough. It would have been nice if the docs had mentioned this. Sigh.

Youda best, kid/querida. The absolute best.

Major thanks, Butrflynet. Major big time thanks.

I was planning on having scrambled eggs tonight. On the list. I also have some apple sauce. Dessert!

Muchas gracias, kid.

Izzie- I have a personal story that will agree with what you have written. I had my son by caesarean. Because I never was in labor, the docs had to give me meds to shrink my uterus. Every time that I started to get comfortable, the nurse would be there with another shot. So I literally had labor over a surgical scar, and that HURT.

Anyhow, one evening I realized that the pain had diminished, and that I could move about the bed in relative comfort. The next morning, I was groggy, and forgot that the pain had diminished. I started moving about the bed in the stiff sort of way that I did while the shots were working.

Boida - Just wanted you to know that I am keeping track of you and really care about you.

((Roberta))

I hope you had a successful meal of scrambled eggs and a nice apple sauce dessert.

(((((((((( our lady in red ))))))))))))))

I'm glad you're home, and the damn surgery is over!

Now rest and eat and get better. Maybe chocolate pudding tomorrow? You deserve something chocolate.

Thanks to all for the good thoughts.

I ate the scrambled eggs and apple sauce. Got a stomach ache. It went away. I ate some more.

No chocolate pudding in the house, Eva. C'est la vie.

Bon soir, mes amis.

Been following along. Glad you are feeling a touch better, still puzzled by the essential lack of concern from the hospital people.

I've noticed a change in the hospital folks since Hurricane Sandy hit. I was kind of amazed at the lack of attention I got in the emergency room. I've been there before. No big city ER in a public hospital is going to be problem free. But things this time were appalling.

Hey, I'm still alive (so far). I appreciate your concern.