Choking On Food

I would like to direct this question to someone who is a stomach cancer survivor (or caretaker) for more than 2 years.   My step mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer October 2007.   She had a total gastrectomy on 10/31/07.   She recovered very well from her surgery and started one week of chemo on 12/28/07.   She then started 28 sessions of radiation on 12/29/07 through 2/24/08.    Since then she's been recovering from the radiation which made her very sick.  She had to have a feeding tube because she couldn't eat.   It's been more than a month since the last radiation and she hasn't had the feeding tube for about 2 1/2 weeks and eats pretty well.   EXCEPT sometimes, not often, she'll eat something or swallow a pill and a few minutes later she'll start choking until the pill or food particle comes back up and out.   We have no idea what's causing this.  Like I said, it's not often.   She'll eat and be fine most times.    Does anybody who has been a survivor 2 years or more still have this problem?    Is it something we'll just have to deal with forever?

On 4/2/2008 claudia1 wrote:

I would like to direct this question to someone who is a stomach cancer survivor (or caretaker) for more than 2 years.   My step mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer October 2007.   She had a total gastrectomy on 10/31/07.   She recovered very well from her surgery and started one week of chemo on 12/28/07.   She then started 28 sessions of radiation on 12/29/07 through 2/24/08.    Since then she's been recovering from the radiation which made her very sick.  She had to have a feeding tube because she couldn't eat.   It's been more than a month since the last radiation and she hasn't had the feeding tube for about 2 1/2 weeks and eats pretty well.   EXCEPT sometimes, not often, she'll eat something or swallow a pill and a few minutes later she'll start choking until the pill or food particle comes back up and out.   We have no idea what's causing this.  Like I said, it's not often.   She'll eat and be fine most times.    Does anybody who has been a survivor 2 years or more still have this problem?    Is it something we'll just have to deal with forever?

So sorry about your stepmom's diagnosis.  My husband survived stage IV stomach cancer for three years.  The radiation made him very sick also.  My husband would eat something then throw up - is your stepmother throwing up or choking?  The food seemed to get hung up.  This happened alot.  When it was near the end, he could not get any food down at all - he had a malignant stricture at the site of original stomach cancer.  Every patient is different.  Make sure the doctor is aware of this symptom.

Diane

thanks for your response.  she's definitely not throwing up.   she's choking until whatever piece she's choking on comes up.    She says it's because she forgets to chew her food really really well sometimes.    Like I said it doesn't happen often, but it's there.