ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Tod on May 02, 2016, 08:05:33 am
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MRI this morning, followed by consult.
"Looks great. I'm terribly pleased. Come back in two years."
There was more to it than that, talked about my swallowing issues which are unchanged and that my voice has probably returned as fully as it is likely (still can't yell effectively under some circumstances and noisy environments damage my speech). Otherwise all is good.
Life is good.
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Very good news! Feel free to elaborate on your issues that continue. I'm kind of curious, having a similar history! Patti
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Patti, I have lost much of the involuntary swallowing function on the left side. The normal flow of mucous just gets hung up and I have to drink a lot and I cough a lot. I still have some paralysis of the left vocal fold limiting the ability to sing and yell, both of which trigger coughing. Also, when in loud situations, the body automatically tries to pitch the voice up to be heard, but this will eventually fail miserably for me. Facial spasms are rarely noticeable, but my left eye still blinks when I chew. The left cheek muscles don't clear food very well, so a finger sweep is sometimes necessary.
Still no tears on the left side. The eye is not completely dry, but dry enough I still use night-time gel.
On the unpleasant side, severe bowel activity trigger gagging/vomiting....all connected via the Vagus nerve. It's crazy but true.
These are all little things, and manageable.
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Just saw this response! How are you these days? I have some of the same problems, especially with the swallowing and choking. Half my mouth, throat, face and cornea have no feeling.
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Patti, I'm fine, little has changed, I think. There appear to be more incidents of non-swallowing, but I am not sure that is not a reflection of me being a little bit less attentive to eating and rushing through life a bit more. Also, I think getting allergy shots has also affected the mucous flow and perhaps that is a unintended consequence, one that might be worth it.
I do think the solution is to always live with intention in the things you do, focusing always on the many things you can do, not the few you can't.
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I am going for an MRI on Wednesday, October 5. Looking forward to seeing what's going on! Good for you having a good attitude! I do most of the time. But the days before an MRI make me think about all the bad possibilities.
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Best of luck! DO let us know the results.
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I will!