Dilation Update

Today was dilation procedure number 5 and once again there was some success though not quite as far as I would have liked. This time around we got to 13.5 MM. It is a half millimeter less that what I was hoping for but still provides a 26.6% increase in the volume of the opening. They tried 15 MM but that was a no go. One interesting thing I learned about the dilators they are using is that they have a build in safety system where if they feel a certain amount of pressure they stop inflating. That is a good thing as it helps prevent any serious injuries. The next procedure should be in 4 weeks.

One thing I am learning about swallowing is that if you haven't done it in awhile it takes some time to get back into the swing of things. Even just chewing food felt strange the first week or so I tried it because it had been over 10 months since I chewed anything. After this latest procedure I was able to go home and have an entire can of Progresso Clam Chowder soup (2 servings) along with some bread with butter. Probably 500 calories total. Then I was able to eat some home made banana bread also with butter for around another 100 calories. While I am still not mainstream when it comes to food it is nice to be able to get a decent amount of calories through eating.

Over the next few weeks I will start trying to eat some more small solid items. Even if they don't go down well right away I have found that by practicing now when my esophogus is opened up wide enough they go down easier.

CT Scan Update

It always seems odd to be rooting for negative results. The latest CT Scan came back negative and once again that is a good thing! I did wait until a bit after 12:00 today to call for the results and the radiation oncologist returned the call in about an hour. Everything looks good and this scan was probably the most comprehensive that I have had since my initial diagnosis. There is a certain amount of symmetry in getting the results this week. It was a year ago this week that I first was diagnosed with cancer.

Operation Garbage Plate Update

There has been some progress in the war on swallowing. A milestone has been reached this week. Last night I had to go to a meeting and afterwards one of the people suggested going out to a local place. Normally this is the tradition after these meetings. I figured I would give it a try and if I couldn't get anything on the menu then I would just get water. The place we went to served Guinness and since I was off of the Fentanyl patch... I figured what the heck. Of course being Guinness I had no problem drinking it. :-) Another plus was on the menu they had one item, an appetizer that I could almost eat normally. It was a baked brie and avocado on bread with sun dried tomatoes. I knew that the tomatoes was a definite problem so I asked if they could make it without them. It wasn't a problem and I was able, albeit slowly, able to eat most of it. So for the first time in about 11 and a half months I was able to go out to a place and get something to eat and drink. Admittedly it was only one item on the menu but it is a start.

What's On Tap For This Week

Last week was a busy week with the PEG tube replacement, the CT Scan (no results yet) and coming off of the pain meds. This week is a bit lighter with just another dilation procedure scheduled for Thursday. This will be the 5th procedure and hopefully will get me up to 14MM. That would start to put me in the solids territory. 18-20 MM is the final goal. Supposedly once I get to 18 the size of my esophagus will no longer be the limiting factor in eating. Ideally I would like to get to 20 just to have some extra space to spare. I will post another update later this week when I get my CT Scan results back and / or after the procedure.