Will Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Help
A Throat Cancer Complications?

by Gil Matthiass
(Yakima, Wa)

I am a 62 year old man. I was treated for throat cancer 11/99 reciving 90 grays of radiation on my left side (low jaw to just above the vocal cords) and 45 grays on my right side given twice a day 6 days a week for 6 weeks.

I had 3 weeks of chemo at the start concurent with the radiation. Three months later I underwent a neck dicection on the left side removing all my limph glands. Fourtunatly I was able to retain my jugular vein and muscle on that side.

I recovered and resumed eating aporx. June of 2000. Except for a dry mouth which made things hard to swallow (I would add liquid with each bite) life was perty normal untill about 3 years ago (8 years after treatment) when I started to asperate some food causing me to cough and feel off.

I recieved some speech theropy (simple exercizes to strengthen the swallowing musles) which helped and I returned to normal type function. However it was also discovered that a scar band was developing in my throat just above the vocal cords, but when the surgen attempted to remove it by lazer in 2008 he aborted as he felt he would break my jaw and thus to redo he needed to do a trake. We decided to wait.

By 9/2009 the scar band was bad (down to aprox 3 mm opening through which I was eating and breathing) I experieneced many periods of flu like simptoms which I now recognize as asperation.

In 3/2010 I underwent throat surgury removing the scar band and reciving a stomach tube and trac in trade. The trac was for safty precautions and was never needed. It was to come out in 2 - 4 weeks.

It did not come out for 6 months. My swallowing did not go well after surgury (asperating aprox. 25% volume on barium study). It was felt that my upper esophagus valve was not releasing well or that i was not creating enough pressure to force the food, so a second procedure was done in 5/2010 taking the scar band down farther and adding botox to the valve. Mistake.. food came from my stomach every time i would sit after eating or bend over etc.

I went thought 11 actual asperation phneumonias since then. now 4/2011 the trac is out, I as still taking all my food threw a stomach tube (does anyone have a tube in the small intestine instead? I hear that may be better) I have been dignosed with h-pylori (caused upset stomach and reflux).

After 2 antibiotic treatments (first did not work ) we are waiting another 30 days to do a stool sample to see if the h-pylori is gone. In the mean time i am doing a e-stem therapy on my throat in hopes of eating again. I have asperated 2 times since starting the e-stem, but it seems to be helping as my voice has improved tremondously and am getting much better range of motion and malability.

However my last treatment was apparently too intense as my jaw and neck became painful and swollon and my vocal cords almost closed down. 3 days later I ended up in the E.R. and got steroids to help nock down the swelling. am breating better now.

So here is the question.. Will Hyperbaric Treatments help me? It seems like it would be a good fit to add malability and function to my neck and swallowing muscles. I would invite any comments please. Thanks for your help. And if i can be of any help to someone out there please msg me.

God Bless , Gil