The exercises I was given are specifically for dysphagia--difficul
Stick your tongue out just a little so that it is between your front teeth. Now bite down. Put your fingertip on your Adam's apple and swallow. When it rises to the top of your throat to the highest level, hold as long as you can---this builds muscle. You can feel it--you won't be able to breathe either so I can only hold a little bit.
The second exercise is lying on your back with arms out horizontal with body---everything flat including head. Now raise your head and look at your feet straight ahead--lower the head. Do 20-30 of these, then rest.
Now raise your head again, but HOLD it for at least 30 seconds---again this builds the muscles in the throat. Do this 2-3 x.
Repeat the first part again---raising and lowering your head 20-30 times and resting.
Repeat the second part again---2-3x
That's it! I will pass along the info about being able to take supplements when I get that information hopefully next week.
I would still advise you to see a speech pathologist who may have other ideas as well. I had resigned myself to living with this horrible problem, until I decided to see if anything would help. It's a horrible problem, isn't it. I coughed at the wheat grass juice stand tonight because I forgot to tuck my chin and use a straw. I threw my head back and drank down the wheat grass in one big gulp. Big mistake, as you know.
So sorry you are having to deal with cancer as well. It sucks, doesn't it?
Let me know how it goes.
Nancy
--- On Sat, 7/18/09, Nicole Gilbert wrote:
Nancy,
I have difficulty swallowing because my entire neck is swollen due to my thyroid cancer. I can't swallow pills, dry foods get stuck in my throat, but worst of all is liquids. Liquids just go down the wrong say. I have medical insurance and I have told my doctor about it, but I think it is pretty much a symptom of my disease and there's not much they can do for it. Your advice on tucking in my chin was great and I just figured if they gave you any more little tips like that you could pass them along.
-Nicole-
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