Dear A,

Just wanted to write to you about how important a nebulizer is to my husband. My husband was diagnosed with tongue cancer 5 years ago, he underwent vigorous and intense radiotherapy and chemo which left him with a severe burnt mouth and tongue, so bad was the treatment it damaged his saliva glandes and stopped him being able to ever swallow again and stopped the movement of his tongue.

Whilst it was great news that the cancer had gone we never imagined what a impact on all our lives it would be. My husband can NEVER eat or drink again and he is fitted with a peg in his stomach and it is attached to a machine that pumps a liquid prescription food into his stomach and water is pumped in him this way too. This has had a devastating impact on all of us now, I have to cook and eat in the kitchen on my own, no longer can go out for meals or stop and have lunch or a drink and we could’nt go out for a meal on our 41 year wedding anniversary. We all find it hard when the family come together for sunday roast and especially christmas dinner because my husband has to go in the bedroom because it is so hard for him to see the food and drinks knowing he cannnot have any himself. It pains me with every mouthfull I can taste and enjoy that this social and enjoyable thing we all do every day, my husband cannot join in and do anymore.

He also has to deal with all the saliva and mucus build up in his throat and this is where the nebulizer is a very important piece of equipment because it lossens the mucus and makes his mouth damp, this is so important to free this as it can go down on his lungs and cause pneumonia. Although my husband feels tethered to his peg and using the nebulizer 4 or 5 times per day, we all know how important this equipement is to him.

My husband and all of us are so very very gratefull for donations that charity’s like NARA recieve and the work they do is so appreciated because this helps people like my husband to continue to have some quality of life after cancer. We thank you all so very much for making his fight much easier.

J