Operation Garbage Plate Update

The front lines in operation Garbage Plate have made significant progress in the last week. Typically after a dilation procedure it takes about a week or so for things to settle down and then I can start to get a feel for where I am at regarding swallowing. It's amazing the difference that only an additional 1.5 MM in the size of my esophagus can make.

I have created three classifications for how I can eat foods. Those that I can eat somewhat normally, those that I can eat but with some problems and those that are still beyond reach. The list of foods that I can eat normally is still fairly short but growing. Most soups are now OK to eat. Some mushy foods like deviled eggs are also in that group though just eating the white part is still a problem. A surprise but welcome entry into the group are some cookies. The recipe for cookies on the back of the Heath Bar bits package, available in all fine and not so fine grocery stores, isn't much of a problem either. That is probably because over half of the cookies is sugar and the toffee candy bits. This is a great portable snack though really not a long term solution due to the potential dental problems. :-) Some other things in the somewhat normal category include deserts like cheesecake, apple pie if the skin is peeled off of the apples, some soft cheeses like brie, pate and some breakfast cereals like lucky charms.


In the I can eat it but with some problems category there are bean burritos, McDonald's grilled chicken snack wraps, rotisserie chicken with lots of gravy, meat loaf with lots of gravy, steamed chinese dumplings, some items from your typical chinese buffet and omelettes wit some fillings. (Thanks to Alton Brown my omelette technique has improved quite a bit!) These are items that if given enough time I can eat but not something I would want to do in public. If things get stuck going down there is only one other way for them to go. :-)

One thing I am learning is that there are multiple variables involved in what I can and can not eat. The esophagus opening is one item and that is slowly moving forward. The other issue is related to the change of geometry in my throat due to the treatments. It seems like anything with raisins in it is definitely out of the question. The problem is that the raisins, when chewed, seem to cling to the back of my throat. What is odd is that breakfast cereal with dried cranberries don't pose the same problem. The change in geometry and the dry mouth issues are something that at this point in time really can't be corrected. What I am doing instead is experimenting and essentially retraining myself to eat some foods differently. For example with burritos I know that they tend to form a plug in my mouth and can get stuck when swallowing. To accommodate that I am taking smaller bites but also swallowing it small amounts with sips of water. It took a few days worth of testing with some "interesting" results to get the technique right and I feel I will get to the point where I don't think about it anymore but do it instinctively. I liken this to the way a child learns to eat. They take a few years to move from liquids to mushy food to small solids. I am trying to compress this learning cycle into a few months if not less.

The next dilation procedure hasn't been scheduled yet. I think they want me to slow down a bit and see where I settle out at after each procedure. Most likely the next procedure will be after Thanksgiving. Around both Thanksgiving and Christmas I have decided to not have procedures just on the off chance something went wrong and I had to spend some time in the hospital.