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tripete

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PALS
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12/2014
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Lancaster
I have begun to notice that certain things can be difficult to swallow; like spaghetti. I have also noticed that my jaw gets very tired chewing. I suspect this might be the start of eating issues. What kinds of things do other PALS have difficulty swallowing? It is worse on days when I have more coughing fits which I am guessing is related to muscle fatigue.
 
And oh Mark, no this is not a thread on "THAT" type of swallowing! :twisted:
 
>And oh Mark, no this is not a thread on "THAT" type of swallowing!

:)

enjoy every bite!
 
O lord, has Big M led us down a dark path? ;^)

My swallowing issue is that 'stuff' tends to go down the wrong path, and I spend the rest of the day trying to clear it. This is why I opted for the peg.
 
Steve is having issues with rice corn and seedy foods. Thin liquids sometimes.
 
Pete I have the same issues with my jaw muscles tiring out. I also have issues with my jaw locking when I yawn. I'm just thankful I'm still eating but I've had to adapt, i.e. I have to re-warm my food because I take longer to eat - small bites makes it a lot easier on my jaw muscles. However, I'm still mobile and so very thankful my legs are working good.
 
You might try Nuedexta-it helps some people swallow better. Helped me for about 6 months.
 
Making those super smoothies that many here take in could be a key to helping. Now it won't help your swallowing improve but it will allow you to get some high calorie and nutritious stuff down easily.

So make your meal of the stuff you like smaller, let go of the stuff that is difficult or start putting it through a food processor first to break it down a little. If eating a meal takes more than 20 -30 minutes it's time to start new strategies. One of the things that happens is that it begins to take as much or more energy to consume the meal than the calories the meal contains and you are going backwards.

So if you cut down the meal size by a third or a half, and enjoyed eating it hot in one go, then drink a high powered smoothie either straight after or maybe half an hour to an hour later, you will have taken in more calories than before with far less energy spent.

Before Chris went onto puree I started putting parts of his meals through the food processor with the copping blade. It then still retained some texture, but made it so much easier to eat.
 
And oh Mark, no this is not a thread on "THAT" type of swallowing! :twisted:

why...I do declare....I dunno what you are talkin about.....:twisted:

Chewing, swallowing, and drinking are all challenging for me. I luv to eat, but sometimes it is tricky. I often swallow stuff be for I get it chewed properly. Steak is a challenge for me because my jaw muscles get tired.
I choke on saliva most of the time, and food if I am hurried or not concentrating.
The up side is that I can count undigested corn and peanuts every morning.:shock:
 
i recently (2 months ago) switched to a more pureed diet, mostly to save time, increased safety and save energy.
gotta tell ya, i don't think i've ever eaten better!
i had a bbq pork chop mash potatoes and broccoli last night. it was amazing. the other day i had a filet and shrimp. all it took was a $13 mini chopper and a can-do attitude :)
as we progress, it seems as if the planets must align for us to get a meal where we aren't choking, out of breath or just exhausted. God forbid if my handler doesn't have my straw at the right height or angle or even depth. not to mention the thickness of the straw, temperature of the liquid, or whether or not the nose is clear for breathing!
swallowing is such a science for a pals, gone are the days of nacho eating contests.
cheers,
Casey
 
Oh, yeah, this thread reminded that on another thread I should have warned about rice as vigorously as I warned about corn. But as others have pointed out, these things can be puréed.
 
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