I personally think about swallowing a lot…like every day a
lot. I call it a double swallow because it seems like I have to try it twice to
make it works once, and even that is a half-assed attempt to get it right. The MS
Society states that it is a “Delay
in triggering the swallow: “I can't get my swallow started.”’
I can't get my
swallow started????? What kind of stupid ridiculous crap is that? It makes no
sense, but it sounds a lot like my so-called double swallow, which doesn’t make
sense either.
Even with a sore
throat the swallowing function works. The body is a complicated piece of
machinery (not talking cyborgs…yet), but moving food, liquid, gum, pennies,
saliva, or anything else that you put into your mouth from your pie hole to
your stomach doesn’t seem like the most complicated piece of the machine (just
pissed off a bunch esophagus junkies and smart people with that one).
The problem is
that I know how to swallow, or at least thought that I knew how to swallow
because I have been practicing it successfully my entire life. How do I know
that I have been successfully swallowing my entire life? I’m alive and not dead
from choking…point for me.
So since I know
how to swallow, this double swallow crap sucks. It’s hard and it takes work. I’m
not fully afraid of hard work, but I want to take my swallow for granted like I
used to.
Seriously…a good
swallow is a memorable thing when you don’t get very many of them. I had one,
two days ago. We were in the car heading home. My wife was driving because
neither one of us felt safe with me behind the wheel. I was in the passenger
seat playing on my phone. We were stopped at a red light behind a few cars,
waiting to turn right, off of Fourth Plain onto Andresen. Right then and there,
as we were stopped in front of some check cashing place waiting for the light
to turn green, it happened…I swallowed…a perfect “normal” swallow. It felt so
good, so indescribable, and so incredibly perfect.
I wanted more.
Why did I have to
be greedy? Why couldn’t I be happy with what I got? No, I had to press my luck
and try to duplicate the swallow. Maybe I was better, and my double swallowing
days were gone; maybe not permanently, but for a while at least?
Disappointment
set in…the normal everyday take for granted swallow was nothing more than a
fluke, and trying to duplicate it sort of cheapened the memory of it. It was a
good moment, and I’ll remember it for a long time; maybe not the specifics, but
that I still had a good swallow left in me and that I could still do it.
I know that I’ll
have a lot more swallows in my days to come, both good and bad. I can deal with
it because it won’t kill me (this one might actually, but I’m not going to tell
anybody that…including myself). Yes it is a hindrance, but it’s not a game
changer. You always have a choice on how you deal or react to every situation
in life, and I choose the positive path.
Common swallowing symptoms
These
problems are typically mild or transient. But when chronic, they can lead to
dehydration or poor nutrition. In severe cases, food or liquids can enter the
lungs, which can lead to “aspiration” pneumonia. Common issues include:
- Delay in
triggering the swallow: “I can't get my swallow started.”
- Residue
left in the throat due to weakness: “It feels like there is still
something stuck in my throat.”
- Inadequate
airway protection (with possible aspiration) due to weakness or timing
problems: “It goes down the wrong tube and I cough.”
Swallow more safely
- Take care
of your mouth. Brush your teeth and tongue twice daily to reduce bacteria
and the risk of pneumonia, should aspiration occur. (Regularly visit the
dentist also.)
- Sit
upright at a full 90-degree (or right angle) position when eating or
drinking.
- Take small
sips and bites to safely control the amount of food you’re ingesting.
- Take
follow-up dry swallows to clear any residue left in the throat.
- Cough or
clear your throat and swallow again to protect your airway.
As always…please check what else
I am up to at:
No comments:
Post a Comment