Jeannie Gaffigan, comedy writer, mother of five, and wife of comedian, Jim Gaffigan, underwent surgery in April 2017 to remove a life-threatening tumor near her brain stem. Damage to her vagal nerve resulted in dysphagia. Jeannie initially required a feeding tube due to the inability to swallow and is currently undergoing swallow rehabilitation.
Webinar: More Than Meets the Lungs: An Overview of Aspiration Pneumonia
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018 at 8:00 PM EDT (5:00 pm PDT)
Webinar Description:
This presentation will focus on aspiration and resulting pulmonary sequelae. The clinical presentation of aspiration pneumonia and differential diagnoses will be discussed. Contributing factors for pneumonia development and identification of patients at risk will be evaluated. This presentation seeks to elucidate the involvement of pulmonary health in the assessment and treatment of dysphagia.
Learner Outcomes:
- The attendee will understand the impact of aspiration in patients with dysphagia
- The attendee will describe a multifactorial approach used to diagnose aspiration pneumonia
- The attendee will become familiar with factors that contribute to the development of aspiration pneumonia
- The attendee will identify techniques that help reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia
No ASHA CEUs will be offered for this webinar.
Meet the Presenters: Lisa Evangelista, CScD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Dr. Lisa Evangelista is the Director of Speech Pathology at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She is a board certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders. Her clinical interests include managing swallowing dysfunction following the surgical and medical management of head and neck cancers. She has expertise in assessing and treating radiation-associated swallowing disorders.
Dr. Evangelista’s research focuses on improving functional outcomes following surgical and medical treatments for head and neck cancers. Her research interests include swallowing function following radiation therapy and quality of life outcomes following surgical intervention in head and neck oncology.
Medical disclaimer. This Webinar is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with an appropriate health care professional, as each individual’s medical situation is unique. It is important that you consult with your medical professional (e.g., physician, SLP) before implementing any course of treatment. Experiences that are new to you should be done with the help of a caregiver and when access to emergency medical care is available.
New Webinar! Dysphagia and Pain: A Complex Relationship
Dysphagia and Pain: A Complex Relationship
Presented by Liza Blumenfeld, BCS-S, CCC-SLP
Date and Time: Thursday, July 26th, 2018 at 8:00 PM EDT (5:00 pm PDT)
Webinar Description:
The objective of this course is to provide the participant with a clearer understanding of how dysphagia and pain are often intertwined within complex medical conditions.
- The learner will have a better understanding of the challenges associated with managing severe/chronic pain in individuals with co-existing dysphagia.
- The learner will become familiar with a new patient reported outcome tool specific to pill dysphagia as well as the clinical presentation and consequences of pill-induced esophagitis
- The learner will describe dysphagia-specific sequelae associated with ACDF surgeries performed to manage/treat chronic pain
- The learner will demonstrate awareness of the role of Gabapentin and other novel modalities to treat pain in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer
No ASHA CEUs will be offered for this webinar.
Meet the Presenter:
Liza Blumenfeld, BCS-S, CCC-SLP, Liza currently works as the Co-Director of the UCSD Moores Head and Neck Cancer Center and UCSD Voice and Swallowing Center. She is a board-certified swallowing disorders specialist whose therapeutic approach integrates science and technology within a multidisciplinary care model. Liza has served in rehabilitation leadership since 1996, providing both therapeutic services and administrative oversight of clinical programs. Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, she was manager of speech-language pathology, audiology and motility at the Center for Voice and Swallowing at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where she was recognized for transforming the center into a thriving regional center of excellence. Blumenfeld also is a national instructor to speech-language pathologists on transnasal endoscopy technique and interpretation.
Medical disclaimer. This Webinar is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with an appropriate health care professional, as each individual’s medical situation is unique. It is important that you consult with your medical professional (e.g., physician, SLP) before implementing any course of treatment. Experiences that are new to you should be done with the help of a caregiver and when access to emergency medical care is available.
My Failed Swallow: A Disability, Not a Mindset
Byline: Samantha Anderson, Australia
I could have written this from so many different angles. The fear I faced waking up in an unfamiliar body. The frustration of struggling to find help in a medical system so geared to common ailments and diseases and learning that there is no one who can help. The disgust at how women are treated and pigeonholed as “emotional” or “depressed” – being told “Sweetheart, you’ve just forgotten how to swallow” is so demeaning and disrespectful. Being an outsider in your own life – not taking part in family meals or celebrations. Work functions and events that all center around food and champagne. Friends that don’t know how to catch up if not over coffee, and family that can’t come to visit without planning a barbecue. Or how to deal with food, food and more food being shoved in your face everywhere: magazines, billboards, TV, in the streets, friend’s houses, supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, even in your own home. And how when you’re starving, it’s pure torture.
Welcome to the NFOSD Community Forum!
Welcome to the NFOSD Community Forum! This forum was created in 2015 with the purpose connecting those impacted by dysphagia with others – this includes patients, families, caregivers, friends, and professionals who help treat swallowing disorders.
We have transitioned our community forum to using a Facebook platform for usability and access purposes. We have kept older posts viewable to our community by clicking on the following links: Previous Community Forum
Below you will find links to our new Forums, one designed for adults and one geared towards parents/caregivers of children and infants with feeding and swallowing disorders.