Dysphagia

By Nerida Kingsford

Having a mouthful of spit,
When you can’t get rid of it,
Isn’t very nice,
You have to cough and spit more than twice,
It often makes you choke,
That’s certainly not a joke,
I dream of not having to always spit,
& use a tissue to get rid of it,
It’s very unpleasant,
Because it makes me pant,
It’s also quite distressing,
Not being able to eat or swallow anything,
Who knew that this would happen to me!
It’s an affliction that you cannot see,
It’s super frustrating not being able to eat anything not even a vegetable,
People often point and stare, which makes me feel rather uncomfortable,
Try not to stare,
Or glare,
At me,
It makes me go off my tree,
And a little bit crazy,
So, try not to be offended,
About what’s going on in my head,
Simply look the other way,
& that will make my day,
Dysphagia is definitely not contagious,
So, why all the fuss????

My name is Nerida Kingsford. I live in Brisbane Australia. I had a left sided stroke during a 17 hour operation for a huge benign brain tumour in May 2017. Unfortunately, the stroke affected my ability to swallow and eat. Consequently, I have a PEG (Percutaneous Enteral Gastronomy) for my nutritional needs. I have had 25 brain surgeries due to additional benign cysts that developed in my brain. I’m am also reliant on a manual wheelchair for all of my mobility. I enjoy tasting food, despite not being able to swallow. I also enjoy painting and drawing and writing poetry. I enjoy socialising with my family and friends.