8 months post anterior cervical spinal fusion, my tongue is not caved in the middle, as on the prior video. There are hardly any jerky movements of the tongue, and I am able to keep it in midline for a period of time. Occasionally, the tip of the tongue wavers but if I relax, the wavering goes away. This perhaps is evidence that it is ok for me to swallow food now. Before, I was unable to swallow and I had a 'tired' tongue. Now, I am able to swallow and although my tongue gets tired, it is able to remain in place without fasiculations. Perhaps this is a Bedside Tongue Test which can predict the Barium Swallow. Perhaps it can negate the need for a Barium Swallow, because if you can not hold your tongue out, perhaps it is that you do not have the muscle strength and coordination to swallow without food going to your lungs. Food in the lungs can lead to aspiration pneumonia and death. If you choke on your food, you may need to be seen for examination of your swallowing mechanism. I hope none of you get dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) after anterior spinal fusion surgery, as I did. But perhaps it is useful that I did this, and it seems to 'connect' tongue strength with swallowing and perhaps further studies are needed to show whether there is a correlation between this Bedside Tongue Test and the Barium Swallow.
Tags: dysautonomia, tongue, deviation, dysautonomiamd, blood, pressure, heart, rate, tachycardia, anterior, spinal, fusion, surgery, hardware, four, screws, two, discs, Barium, Swallow, choke, cough, aspiration, pneumonia, death, hope, time, healing
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