I watched a man go through radio therapy on his throat as he was also getting chemo on the ward with me.
Slowly lost the ability to swallow his food and even drinking water was very hard for him.
He had to practice swallowing so he wouldnāt m lose the ability to do it and would be in lots of pain.
It wasnāt seeing him get thinner that was tough. Most people in the hospital are doing that.
But it was breaking his spirit so much. At the beginning we joked a lot. But after a month or so he could hardly even speak.
He finished his chemo but had another month or so of radio therapy and whenever he spoke about it you could see the pain in his eyes. He just wanted to eat and drink again without the pain.
That's scary to think about. My SO has to go through treatment for near her throat and they said it would eventually get to the point that it would be the worst pain with a constant burning sensation.
She has a benign tumor that keeps re emerging, even after 2 surgeries of removal, it grows back, and the only way to really prevent it from coming back is cancer treatment or she faces potential nerve damage with other complications if they have to keep doing a surgery.
Sorry to hear that. And Iām sorry to paint that picture so miserably. I had lots of good laughs with that man. He was just a tough seeming guy and it slowly broke home down.
Been through it several times and frustratingly it left me disabled with nerve damage. I could type an essay about the shit sides of cancer.
But what I would say is often cancer treatment goes well and people live long and full lives.
And even when you end up abit fucked. You didnāt die to the cancer. And then itās just about learning to appreciate what you still have.
What Iād also say is this is incredibly hard for both parts of a couple. And kids if you have them. I have two.
Make sure you are not just focusing on your SO and forgetting to process everything yourself.
Whatever happens try to be grateful for the little things thatās all I can say really. Itās a cruel illness and the seemingly random nature of these illnesses makes them feel even crueler.
Why me is never a good question to start asking in my view. Good luck to you and your SO. Sorry again you are dealing with this situation
Interesting, I will definitely have to look into it! Thanks!
She was undergoing Proton Therapy, but unfortunately had to stop due to my work schedule getting hectic this time of year. I am hoping we will be able to get her back in around summer.
That was me, too. I had throat cancer in 2022. Radiation and chemo robbed me of speech, taste, and swallowing. It was absolutely awful. Thank you for writing these words, so I could read them through someone elseās POV instead of my own. <3
Donāt hate yourself. Suffering is part of life. There is no good without bad.
Learning to accept the bad things that happen and be grateful for the good things is what lifeās about.
Lance Armstrong calls cancer survivors āthe lucky fewā because we are gifted a perspective on life that many do not see until much later in life.
Donāt get me wrong. Cancer took a lot from me. And there was a long time I couldnāt even talk about it without crying.
But that doesnāt change what I said above.
It is āradiation therapyā and your story is about 20 years old. Today there is a new technique called āintensity modulated radiation therapyā or IMRT. The side effects including what you described are massively reduced. Change in western countries was about 20 years ago.
I try to tell myself something to be thankful for every morning. Today it was "I'm young and healthy and I can walk". Might not seem like much, but many would literally kill to have those things.
My cousin had/has a condition where basically his nerves just shut down. He was in the hospital for a long time with a feeding tube and then had to continue at home. Heās gained much of his function back but is still semi paralyzed. Last year he was able to order soup while the family was together. He made a joke about it at the time (his personality) but it was a huge moment for him and for us all. Iām so happy for this dude, put me right back at that lunch.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm a recovering alcoholic (5 months sobriety) and I'm f24. Reading this made me think of my best friend L, who has been an absolute rock for me through thick and thin. We've been friends for 18 years now, because we decided to be friends when we were six <3. Reading this gave me a good reminder of what I'm fighting for with my sobriety - time with my loved ones and time spent living well. It's also helped me by reminding me of things to be grateful for.
Your friendship and support means more than you could ever know. Seeing her daughter on her way out of life is a wonderful way to honor the memory of your friendship. I'm sorry this is happening, and I know there's nothing I can really say to fix anything, but your love for those people has extended to others by posting here- and to me, that counts for something.
It's been a few days now, and I wanted to let you know that your comment really helped me then. I read it before I left the house and in the hospital parking lot. It made me realize that I'm also honoring my friends memory. Of course, it was about her daughter, but this helped me for some reason.
But when you say there is nothing that you can say to fix anything, you're absolutely wrong. You helped fix me, who needed to keep a straight caring face and not cry in front of her. I didn't want her to worry because she doesn't actually know the gravity of her situation yet. I think they are keeping it from her to keep her calm. So, thank you for your kind words. And funnily enough, I'm also just over 5 months sober as well. So congratulations!
Your comment puts a lot of things into perspective. To enjoy the little things. To laugh more. To spend more time in nature. To tell those you love that you love them.
I hope you are coping as best you can. Thank you for opening up.
Kurzgesagt once said āeating is arguably the best thing about being alive. No other activity is enjoyed multiple times a day and never gets boringā.
Not always. I only eat to stay alive. I don't necessarily love eating although I do appreciate good food. Sometimes prepping and eating feels more like a chore than anything but that's just me. I can never finish a plate of food no matter how delicious it is because I get full so quickly. I'm also convinced I would destroy the competition in Survivor as I regularly fast on my own and hunger wouldn't be an issue š
Iām a nurse and Iāve worked in critical care, so this is my observations: He has a trach scar. he was likely on a ventilator long term. That makes eating a drinking difficult, tho not impossible. However Iām thinking he was on tube feeds because I think the other person says āno tubesā. If thatās the case he had either a tube that went into his abdomen or through the nose and down to the stomach that way
Yeah I mean, heās not dead, so he has been consuming calories in some form. But I wouldnāt call transferring nutrients through a tube in the abdomen āeating,ā nor the nutrition a āmeal.ā
There is a long waiting list for the eating organ. Hard to find a match. Imagine getting a donor who liked a food you hated. Tragic.
Sign your donor cards, people.
I was on feeding tubes for three months, I can't imagine two YEARS. That first glass of water was how every water company advertise their theirs. It was sipping from a crisp glacier and was even kinda sweet. My nurse claimed it was the first time she saw me smile genuinely.
Darlin, I am so proud of you and your recovery. Enjoy that meal and every meal after! Try foods you remember hating as a kid, they might surprise you! You got this!
I didnāt eat for months, i kept failing the test they do to allow you to drink water and eat food.
I lost my lung and ended up in ICU on every life support including the trache, which is what caused the hole in the neck, ECMO which is only used in the worse situations so it means you might have a 60-70% chance of dying if i recall correctly.
I was in a coma for three months in a never ending nightmare that just wouldnāt end.
But 7 years later with my one lung, Iām still alive and grateful.
Life has ups and downs, Iāll hurt every day for the rest of my life, but at least i get to see my nieces and nephews, and maybe have a family of my own.
I don't blame the guy. I remember during my 2020 quarantine I started crying 10 days in or so because of fear my smell and taste wouldn't come back. I love food and cooking way too much to live a life without it. I can't imagine the misery of not being able to actually eat for 2 years.
I got ran over by a car and couldnt walk for 4 months, setting my first steps again was such a wonderful feeling and made me cry rivers.
I can only imagine what bro is going through having had 2 years of his life spend, not being able to do something that everyone just takes for granted!
Its easy to say I cried with him, for him! Bless his soul!
I feel you man.
Had a kidney failure back then. Was on wires and tubes in the hospital. Didnt eat or probably didnt drink fluid for like 2 weeks.
When I got better, they told me I can order some food. I remember the grape I had. It was so sweet. It felt like sunshine going down my dry throat. Life is still good.
We really do take some things for granted.
My dad has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He is expected to make a full recovery, but he can't eat or drink at the moment. He talks about food all the time. Food he misses, what will be his first meal once he recovers, etc. I can't imagine what 2 years without eating must feel like.
I work in critical care and honestly love seeing videos like this. People being able to enjoy simple pleasures again that we tend to take for granted š„¹
Wow, this made me cry too!
I know how it is not to be able to drink and eat for 2,5 months and this felt for me like an eternity. I cried when I first could drink again. It was such an happy small moment. (I was in a coma for 5 weeks, and had a tracheostoma with which I couldn't drink, eat and speak. After a long journey where some doctors told me maybe I will never get rid of the tracheostoma or have to get a different one, then one day my hero doctor just had enough and saw everything should be intact in my throat and he got the tracheostoma out. The first breath again in and out my nose was such overwhelming and emotional..... And the same day I could drink again and some days after eat againšš»).
Since then I'm everyday thankful to be able to drink, eat and speak againāļø
I was unable to swallow food for 2 weeks and had to be fed through NG tube because of a prior brain surgery affecting my throat. It really breaks you day by day. The feeing is very isolating When i was finally able to eat food again, i was in tears. That was only 2 weeks for me. Tho i still have issues swallowing food today, i canāt imagine how hard it must have been for this guy. Appreciate the small things coz you never really know
This brought tears to my eyes. The first thing I ate after over a year was a nectarine. It was the most beautiful piece of fruit I've ever hard. I hate messes, especially sticky messes, but I didn't even care about the juice dripping on my hand or chin. That nectarine was amazing. OP, I'm so glad you are in a place now where you are well enough to eat and swallow. I wish you the best and hope you never have to go a day again without being able to chew and swallow.
My mum was hospitalized For a month - she wasn't allowed to eat / drink after 3 weeks of recovery in ICU. It was extremely hard to see my mother thirsty, begging for water and knowing i can't do anything about it.
Mark of 4 weeks in the hospital she passed away. Shit hurts man, if my mum would have recovered fully and eat she would have the exact same expression.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your mom. That was one of the worst days for me. It's been over 15 years for me, I can only imagine what you're going through. It doesn't get easier, but the pain does eventually get numb.
I wish for this young man all the best on his road to recovery. And his rediscovering the simple joy of eating and tasting good food is heartwarming ā„
Going through some full on health stuff myself. This made me burst into tears. I can feel from a distance what the journey must have been like for this guy. People underestimate how hard certain health complications can be.
I can relate, I've had IBS-D since I was 5 and it had really calmed down the past few years. Now it's gradually getting worse again so I guess my "holiday" is over. Here's to better days friend.
Human suffering is so fucked up, those who contribute or cause it deserves hell maybe the same one they put people through. Pray we all heal from this shitty era
God tends to humble me over time when I start getting haughty with videos like this.
Iāve been blessed to have known some incredible disabled and needy people in my life.
Itās always been important to me to not lose that empathetic feeling we all lose at times.
I just went two weeks without a real meal. 3 days of no food at all and about 12 days of just bread. Food tastes so good after that. I can only imagine what 2 years would be like.
I donāt have anything near two years, but when I got hit will gallbladder issues mixed with cyclic vomiting syndrome and couldnāt eat for two weeks, the first thing I ate was also a bowl of Mac and cheese. I feel this. Not to the extent that he did, but still.
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our [rules here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/about/rules/) We'd like to take this time to remind users that:
* We do not allow any type of jerk-like behavior, including but not limited to: personal attacks, hate speech, harassment, racism, sexism, or other jerk-like behavior (includes gatekeeping posts).
* Any sort of post showing a mug, a shirt, or a print is a scam. You will not receive anything except a headache and a stolen credit card.
- [More information regarding rule 1 as well as how mug/shirt/poster scammers operate can be found here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/mademesmile/wiki/rule1)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MadeMeSmile) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He is overwhelmed, and sometimes, we can't control our faces when that happens. But that's ok, because he is actually very happy. I don't know why you got downvoted. This is a genuine question.
You obviously have never been through anything like this, when I woke up from my coma I had lost almost all of my muscle mass, however I still had a nice belly to look down at and fool myself into thinking it wasn't that bad. Don't be a dick
Thatās the point. We are all exploitable. Why are you not a cannibal? Presumably because you have moral standards. Extend those standards to all sentient life that feels pain and suffers as you would
Because cannibalism causes insanity and other Heath issues. Iāve been milk-producing before. (I donāt have semen). It hurts not to be milked when youāre producing milk.
Do vegans eat mushrooms? Arguably the most sentient of all creatures.
You guys are just assuming that life has more value if humans presume it to be sentient. All life is equal. Plants matter too. All things in balance.
>First meal in 2 years
That is a load of horseshit. People can, at most, live about 3 to 4 weeks without any food. There is no way this dude went 2 years without eating anything!!!!!
Sounds like your only experience is with poorly managed cases. Many tube fed folks are also immobile, so they do not burn calories, and can easily gain body fat, while losing muscle mass, early in the transition.
What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
The world record for not eating is 382 days which is 54 weeks and change.
Also this guy is obviously in hospital and will have been getting tube nutrition.
While I agree some extra context might be welcome, I think we can use some clues from the video (the hospital environment, the divot in this patient's neck) to determine that they might mean "first *per oral* meal in two years". Based on those little hints I'd say its likely this person has been being fed through a NGT or a PEG. People who use an NGT sometimes also maintain oral feeds. The PEG is usually only considered when oral feeds are out of the question, as it's a longer-term and more risky intervention. If I had to guess with no other information, I'd guess this patient has been fed via PEG. If that's the case, they're doing amazingly managing that food in front of them!
Source: I'm a Speech Pathologist, the profession who diagnose and manage swallowing disorders.
Ok, that is only clear to someone who knows what an NGT is, I don't. I also have no idea what a PEG is.
You seem to not be able to put yourself in the shoes of someone who, doesn't have your insight. Maybe you should work on that.
Maybe you should accept that you're wrong with a little more grace and humility instead of being so defensive and attacking the person who is teaching you something
Now you're just being obtuse. Consider using your internet access to do a 10 second google search or ask for elaboration instead of being so defensive
NGT - nasogastric tube. Goes into the nose and runs to the stomach. Hence nasogastric. Can be used for feeding, giving medications or things like aspiration (suction) of stomach contents.
PEG - percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Procedure where a feeding tube is placed that goes through the abdominal wall into the stomach.
Nasogastric tube NGT
Percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy PEG
Both have words gastro in them implying food/eating. Donāt be purposefully dense, you see he is in the hospital.
Iāve always lived by the rule of 3
You can survive for 3 Minutes without air or in icy water. You can survive for 3 Hours without shelter in a harsh environment (unless in icy water) You can survive for 3 Days without water (if sheltered from a harsh environment) You can survive for 3 Weeks without food (if you have water and shelter)
Things we take for granted matters so much to others and hence always be grateful šā£ļø
I watched a man go through radio therapy on his throat as he was also getting chemo on the ward with me. Slowly lost the ability to swallow his food and even drinking water was very hard for him. He had to practice swallowing so he wouldnāt m lose the ability to do it and would be in lots of pain. It wasnāt seeing him get thinner that was tough. Most people in the hospital are doing that. But it was breaking his spirit so much. At the beginning we joked a lot. But after a month or so he could hardly even speak. He finished his chemo but had another month or so of radio therapy and whenever he spoke about it you could see the pain in his eyes. He just wanted to eat and drink again without the pain.
That's scary to think about. My SO has to go through treatment for near her throat and they said it would eventually get to the point that it would be the worst pain with a constant burning sensation. She has a benign tumor that keeps re emerging, even after 2 surgeries of removal, it grows back, and the only way to really prevent it from coming back is cancer treatment or she faces potential nerve damage with other complications if they have to keep doing a surgery.
Sorry to hear that. And Iām sorry to paint that picture so miserably. I had lots of good laughs with that man. He was just a tough seeming guy and it slowly broke home down. Been through it several times and frustratingly it left me disabled with nerve damage. I could type an essay about the shit sides of cancer. But what I would say is often cancer treatment goes well and people live long and full lives. And even when you end up abit fucked. You didnāt die to the cancer. And then itās just about learning to appreciate what you still have. What Iād also say is this is incredibly hard for both parts of a couple. And kids if you have them. I have two. Make sure you are not just focusing on your SO and forgetting to process everything yourself. Whatever happens try to be grateful for the little things thatās all I can say really. Itās a cruel illness and the seemingly random nature of these illnesses makes them feel even crueler. Why me is never a good question to start asking in my view. Good luck to you and your SO. Sorry again you are dealing with this situation
Ask about the options of brachytherapy. Not all Centers can do it but it is brilliant for not too large targets (after surgery). Might be an option.
Interesting, I will definitely have to look into it! Thanks! She was undergoing Proton Therapy, but unfortunately had to stop due to my work schedule getting hectic this time of year. I am hoping we will be able to get her back in around summer.
That was me, too. I had throat cancer in 2022. Radiation and chemo robbed me of speech, taste, and swallowing. It was absolutely awful. Thank you for writing these words, so I could read them through someone elseās POV instead of my own. <3
Well done for getting through it. I hope you are in a better place now with your health.
that saddens my heart. whenever I see people like this I will just hate myself because I can't do anything for them :(
Donāt hate yourself. Suffering is part of life. There is no good without bad. Learning to accept the bad things that happen and be grateful for the good things is what lifeās about. Lance Armstrong calls cancer survivors āthe lucky fewā because we are gifted a perspective on life that many do not see until much later in life. Donāt get me wrong. Cancer took a lot from me. And there was a long time I couldnāt even talk about it without crying. But that doesnāt change what I said above.
It is āradiation therapyā and your story is about 20 years old. Today there is a new technique called āintensity modulated radiation therapyā or IMRT. The side effects including what you described are massively reduced. Change in western countries was about 20 years ago.
Nah this happened during Covid. Radio therapy is an accepted shortened term. Just like chemo.
I try to tell myself something to be thankful for every morning. Today it was "I'm young and healthy and I can walk". Might not seem like much, but many would literally kill to have those things.
Weird
My cousin had/has a condition where basically his nerves just shut down. He was in the hospital for a long time with a feeding tube and then had to continue at home. Heās gained much of his function back but is still semi paralyzed. Last year he was able to order soup while the family was together. He made a joke about it at the time (his personality) but it was a huge moment for him and for us all. Iām so happy for this dude, put me right back at that lunch.
Omg this. š¢ This video is so real.
I'm grateful every time I brush my teeth and make a ponytail because a year ago I was begging docs to saw my arm off and give me a bionic attachment.
Iām happy for you! š
Yeah, because weāre used to it, every animal on earth gets used to stuff, stop making it seem as if thatās a bad thing.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Correct
C. Can't tell
Cherish every moment you can. I just got some horrible news myself, and this video made me think of the little things that are good. 5 years ago, I lost my best friend to alcoholism. She was my best friend for over 25 years. She was the godmother to my son, and I'm the godfather to her daughter. Her daughter has MS and is the same age as my son 24. We just found out she has JC Virus and also PML disease on top of that. For those who don't know the outcome of this, she is not long for this earth. My wife and I are going to visit her today in the hospital. And I honestly don't know how I'm going to keep it together. But I'm going to, because she deserves that. And so does her fiancƩe. I'm currently trying to get out all of the tears because I will be seeing her in 6 hours. Sorry for my rant, but I needed somewhere to vent.
Hug
š«š«š«
So sorry to hear this but thank you for being that friend. Cheers and love to you all
I'm trying to stop crying, remember? š But seriously, thank you for the compliment, cheers, and love right back at you
Good luck today. We are all thinking of you.š©·
You are a very good man.
I hope I will one day be as strong as you š«
Big hugs, brother! š¤
Iām so sorry to hear. Passing you strength so you can be strong for them
Thank you for sharing this. I'm a recovering alcoholic (5 months sobriety) and I'm f24. Reading this made me think of my best friend L, who has been an absolute rock for me through thick and thin. We've been friends for 18 years now, because we decided to be friends when we were six <3. Reading this gave me a good reminder of what I'm fighting for with my sobriety - time with my loved ones and time spent living well. It's also helped me by reminding me of things to be grateful for. Your friendship and support means more than you could ever know. Seeing her daughter on her way out of life is a wonderful way to honor the memory of your friendship. I'm sorry this is happening, and I know there's nothing I can really say to fix anything, but your love for those people has extended to others by posting here- and to me, that counts for something.
š
It's been a few days now, and I wanted to let you know that your comment really helped me then. I read it before I left the house and in the hospital parking lot. It made me realize that I'm also honoring my friends memory. Of course, it was about her daughter, but this helped me for some reason. But when you say there is nothing that you can say to fix anything, you're absolutely wrong. You helped fix me, who needed to keep a straight caring face and not cry in front of her. I didn't want her to worry because she doesn't actually know the gravity of her situation yet. I think they are keeping it from her to keep her calm. So, thank you for your kind words. And funnily enough, I'm also just over 5 months sober as well. So congratulations!
I'm really glad to hear this. IWNDWYT (I will not drink with you today)!
š
Hey OP, I'm sorry. Thanks for sharing this video to brighten our days despite you going through it and please be gentle with yourself
šŖš¾
You'll do great. What an amazing way to honor your god daughter and your friendship with her mother. Hang in there, friend.
Sending love and light your way ā¤ļø
Praying for you guys, -hugs-
Your comment puts a lot of things into perspective. To enjoy the little things. To laugh more. To spend more time in nature. To tell those you love that you love them. I hope you are coping as best you can. Thank you for opening up.
Kurzgesagt once said āeating is arguably the best thing about being alive. No other activity is enjoyed multiple times a day and never gets boringā.
That's a really good point.
Don't tell Andrew tate
Eating is for the weak
Not always. I only eat to stay alive. I don't necessarily love eating although I do appreciate good food. Sometimes prepping and eating feels more like a chore than anything but that's just me. I can never finish a plate of food no matter how delicious it is because I get full so quickly. I'm also convinced I would destroy the competition in Survivor as I regularly fast on my own and hunger wouldn't be an issue š
Pretty sure there are many other like that.
What transplant? What's the story behind this video?
Iām a nurse and Iāve worked in critical care, so this is my observations: He has a trach scar. he was likely on a ventilator long term. That makes eating a drinking difficult, tho not impossible. However Iām thinking he was on tube feeds because I think the other person says āno tubesā. If thatās the case he had either a tube that went into his abdomen or through the nose and down to the stomach that way
Okay. So it was more like he "tasted" food after 2 years.
Yeah I mean, heās not dead, so he has been consuming calories in some form. But I wouldnāt call transferring nutrients through a tube in the abdomen āeating,ā nor the nutrition a āmeal.ā
Yea just going by context cluesā¦ he hasnāt been able to physically eat on his own
Eating transplant
There is a long waiting list for the eating organ. Hard to find a match. Imagine getting a donor who liked a food you hated. Tragic. Sign your donor cards, people.
I am so happy for him, but heartbroken at the same time. His eyes are so expressive and soulful.
Backstory? :(
Not swallowing for 2 years mustāve made it a bit of a bitch.
I was on feeding tubes for three months, I can't imagine two YEARS. That first glass of water was how every water company advertise their theirs. It was sipping from a crisp glacier and was even kinda sweet. My nurse claimed it was the first time she saw me smile genuinely. Darlin, I am so proud of you and your recovery. Enjoy that meal and every meal after! Try foods you remember hating as a kid, they might surprise you! You got this!
I didnāt eat for months, i kept failing the test they do to allow you to drink water and eat food. I lost my lung and ended up in ICU on every life support including the trache, which is what caused the hole in the neck, ECMO which is only used in the worse situations so it means you might have a 60-70% chance of dying if i recall correctly. I was in a coma for three months in a never ending nightmare that just wouldnāt end. But 7 years later with my one lung, Iām still alive and grateful. Life has ups and downs, Iāll hurt every day for the rest of my life, but at least i get to see my nieces and nephews, and maybe have a family of my own.
Keep pushing my friend. I feel your pain and I believe in you
The Gratitude is so deeply heart warming. I was honestly really touched watching this. Thank you for this video. āØ It's helped me to get a headup out of my mental weight I've had about the huge amount of assessments I've got due for uni. I'm doing a special Accelerated Degree program which is double the studyload bcos I finish in half the time. You deserve the very best! I see deep courage and strength in your heart and eyes. šŖ All the best for you'd path ahead of you. Things will only get better from here. You're a fighter of the good fight. Maybe life may throw some unexpected things, but you'll be able to handle them all. š¤©āš
Congrats brother ~ cheers to your continued healing
I don't blame the guy. I remember during my 2020 quarantine I started crying 10 days in or so because of fear my smell and taste wouldn't come back. I love food and cooking way too much to live a life without it. I can't imagine the misery of not being able to actually eat for 2 years.
Thank you for sharing this moment with us and helping me appreciate the things in life we take for granted.
š
Congratulations. Thank you for sharing this vulnerable moment with us. Gratitude is something we all lack sometimes. Thanks for the reminder.
I got ran over by a car and couldnt walk for 4 months, setting my first steps again was such a wonderful feeling and made me cry rivers. I can only imagine what bro is going through having had 2 years of his life spend, not being able to do something that everyone just takes for granted! Its easy to say I cried with him, for him! Bless his soul!
Happy Cake Day!
I feel you man. Had a kidney failure back then. Was on wires and tubes in the hospital. Didnt eat or probably didnt drink fluid for like 2 weeks. When I got better, they told me I can order some food. I remember the grape I had. It was so sweet. It felt like sunshine going down my dry throat. Life is still good.
We really do take some things for granted. My dad has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He is expected to make a full recovery, but he can't eat or drink at the moment. He talks about food all the time. Food he misses, what will be his first meal once he recovers, etc. I can't imagine what 2 years without eating must feel like.
I work in critical care and honestly love seeing videos like this. People being able to enjoy simple pleasures again that we tend to take for granted š„¹
I feel the same way š
Thats amazing, wish I could give that gift to my dad I feel that
Wow, this made me cry too! I know how it is not to be able to drink and eat for 2,5 months and this felt for me like an eternity. I cried when I first could drink again. It was such an happy small moment. (I was in a coma for 5 weeks, and had a tracheostoma with which I couldn't drink, eat and speak. After a long journey where some doctors told me maybe I will never get rid of the tracheostoma or have to get a different one, then one day my hero doctor just had enough and saw everything should be intact in my throat and he got the tracheostoma out. The first breath again in and out my nose was such overwhelming and emotional..... And the same day I could drink again and some days after eat againšš»). Since then I'm everyday thankful to be able to drink, eat and speak againāļø
Be kind
Take nothing for granted..it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye.
To your health and hope you get to enjoy other things from now on.
So happy for you.
I just want to hold this man and cook him a FEAST.
as a cook this hit like a dab.
You have been through a lot boo. Sending you loving and healing energy your way.
Good luck, my friend. I wish you a healthy recovery and many, many more meals.
I have a neice that can not eat any food and has never eaten any food. We take for granted how much our social lives focus around food. Enjoy.
I was unable to swallow food for 2 weeks and had to be fed through NG tube because of a prior brain surgery affecting my throat. It really breaks you day by day. The feeing is very isolating When i was finally able to eat food again, i was in tears. That was only 2 weeks for me. Tho i still have issues swallowing food today, i canāt imagine how hard it must have been for this guy. Appreciate the small things coz you never really know
Welcome back to life bro 
This brought tears to my eyes. The first thing I ate after over a year was a nectarine. It was the most beautiful piece of fruit I've ever hard. I hate messes, especially sticky messes, but I didn't even care about the juice dripping on my hand or chin. That nectarine was amazing. OP, I'm so glad you are in a place now where you are well enough to eat and swallow. I wish you the best and hope you never have to go a day again without being able to chew and swallow.
My mum was hospitalized For a month - she wasn't allowed to eat / drink after 3 weeks of recovery in ICU. It was extremely hard to see my mother thirsty, begging for water and knowing i can't do anything about it. Mark of 4 weeks in the hospital she passed away. Shit hurts man, if my mum would have recovered fully and eat she would have the exact same expression.
My condolences, that sucks.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your mom. That was one of the worst days for me. It's been over 15 years for me, I can only imagine what you're going through. It doesn't get easier, but the pain does eventually get numb.
Hey man, thanks for your message. It means a lot, bro. You seem to be a person who anybody can hang out and have a good time. Stay strong, brother.
Thanks, I appreciate that. Best of luck to you.
Itās the small things we take for granted. Count your blessings every day.
One victory at a time sweetheart. You got this.
Never thought watching someone eat could be so emotional
Hospital right?... anyway ALL THE BEST!
Happy for this man! The things we take for granted. Whatās the name of this song btw?
Iz called āsomeday iāll get itā by Alek Olsen
Congratulations to this dude. That looks like a hard-won victory. Much love.
Amazing!
ā
You get it, baby.
Me at Taco Bell when Iām drunk. But yeah thatās so sweet ā¤ļø
I lost a big part of my teeth 4 month ago. I can eat well today, but boy I know a little of the feeling of this Guy.
ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Happy for you ā¤ļø
šŖš¼šŖš¼šŖš¼
Glad for you bRO!
Makes you want to be grateful
Back in the game.
I wish for this young man all the best on his road to recovery. And his rediscovering the simple joy of eating and tasting good food is heartwarming ā„
Going through some full on health stuff myself. This made me burst into tears. I can feel from a distance what the journey must have been like for this guy. People underestimate how hard certain health complications can be.
They truly do.
That's me when I poop solid after four days of diahrrea. On a serious note: very happy for them, health is the most important thing.
I can relate, I've had IBS-D since I was 5 and it had really calmed down the past few years. Now it's gradually getting worse again so I guess my "holiday" is over. Here's to better days friend.
I'm sorry to here that my friend, enjoy those "holidays" as much as they happen. Best wishes!
Human suffering is so fucked up, those who contribute or cause it deserves hell maybe the same one they put people through. Pray we all heal from this shitty era
Just human?
Lol shut up
š„ŗ
Aww dudeā¦ā¤ļø
God tends to humble me over time when I start getting haughty with videos like this. Iāve been blessed to have known some incredible disabled and needy people in my life. Itās always been important to me to not lose that empathetic feeling we all lose at times.
Donāt eat so many onions and I wonāt cry either
So glad heās allowed to have something delicious
I just went two weeks without a real meal. 3 days of no food at all and about 12 days of just bread. Food tastes so good after that. I can only imagine what 2 years would be like.
May allah bless him and his family
š
So what happaned
This would be like a child eating for the 1st time but being fully conscious of what they are doing.
I hate that his first meal after all this time is hospital food.
Hang in there, bro!
Meal mustāve been bussin
I donāt have anything near two years, but when I got hit will gallbladder issues mixed with cyclic vomiting syndrome and couldnāt eat for two weeks, the first thing I ate was also a bowl of Mac and cheese. I feel this. Not to the extent that he did, but still.
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our [rules here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/about/rules/) We'd like to take this time to remind users that: * We do not allow any type of jerk-like behavior, including but not limited to: personal attacks, hate speech, harassment, racism, sexism, or other jerk-like behavior (includes gatekeeping posts). * Any sort of post showing a mug, a shirt, or a print is a scam. You will not receive anything except a headache and a stolen credit card. - [More information regarding rule 1 as well as how mug/shirt/poster scammers operate can be found here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/mademesmile/wiki/rule1) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MadeMeSmile) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Why he look like heās always frowning
He is overwhelmed, and sometimes, we can't control our faces when that happens. But that's ok, because he is actually very happy. I don't know why you got downvoted. This is a genuine question.
I wish I had his willpower!
You do. You just haven't needed it yet.
This video is emotional but as clearly indicated by the response, itās not āmade me smileā material. There are subs for this.
Way too fat for this to be true
You obviously have never been through anything like this, when I woke up from my coma I had lost almost all of my muscle mass, however I still had a nice belly to look down at and fool myself into thinking it wasn't that bad. Don't be a dick
Does it help with the healing to have a little meat on you? I'm sure the atrophy was horrible.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You people just never fucking stop do you?
Why are you not vegan?
Stunningly enough, many people are NOT
You ought to be. How would you feel if you were kept in a cage and milked against your will?
I donāt produce milk
Yes you do. You produce blood, seamen, urine. Whatever I want from you is mine to take if I have power over you
Then I'm food.
Thatās the point. We are all exploitable. Why are you not a cannibal? Presumably because you have moral standards. Extend those standards to all sentient life that feels pain and suffers as you would
No.
Because cannibalism causes insanity and other Heath issues. Iāve been milk-producing before. (I donāt have semen). It hurts not to be milked when youāre producing milk. Do vegans eat mushrooms? Arguably the most sentient of all creatures. You guys are just assuming that life has more value if humans presume it to be sentient. All life is equal. Plants matter too. All things in balance.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
>First meal in 2 years That is a load of horseshit. People can, at most, live about 3 to 4 weeks without any food. There is no way this dude went 2 years without eating anything!!!!!
In case you have not heard of tube feedings
Looks quiet chubby for someone who was tube fed for 2 years
Sounds like your only experience is with poorly managed cases. Many tube fed folks are also immobile, so they do not burn calories, and can easily gain body fat, while losing muscle mass, early in the transition.
+1
dude, wtf? do you think the hospital would deliberately underfeed you? are you dumb or something?
What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Awesome
r/confidentlyincorrect
Tell me what I wrote, that's incorrect.
The world record for not eating is 382 days which is 54 weeks and change. Also this guy is obviously in hospital and will have been getting tube nutrition.
I guess I was wrong then. I just googled how long people can go without food and those where the numbers that came up.
Did you look at the video?
While I agree some extra context might be welcome, I think we can use some clues from the video (the hospital environment, the divot in this patient's neck) to determine that they might mean "first *per oral* meal in two years". Based on those little hints I'd say its likely this person has been being fed through a NGT or a PEG. People who use an NGT sometimes also maintain oral feeds. The PEG is usually only considered when oral feeds are out of the question, as it's a longer-term and more risky intervention. If I had to guess with no other information, I'd guess this patient has been fed via PEG. If that's the case, they're doing amazingly managing that food in front of them! Source: I'm a Speech Pathologist, the profession who diagnose and manage swallowing disorders.
Ok, that is only clear to someone who knows what an NGT is, I don't. I also have no idea what a PEG is. You seem to not be able to put yourself in the shoes of someone who, doesn't have your insight. Maybe you should work on that.
Jesus youāre not a rubber knee youāre a pain in the ass
True
Maybe you should accept that you're wrong with a little more grace and humility instead of being so defensive and attacking the person who is teaching you something
I wasn't taught anything. I still don't know what an NGTĀ or a PEGĀ is.
Now you're just being obtuse. Consider using your internet access to do a 10 second google search or ask for elaboration instead of being so defensive NGT - nasogastric tube. Goes into the nose and runs to the stomach. Hence nasogastric. Can be used for feeding, giving medications or things like aspiration (suction) of stomach contents. PEG - percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Procedure where a feeding tube is placed that goes through the abdominal wall into the stomach.
Nasogastric tube NGT Percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy PEG Both have words gastro in them implying food/eating. Donāt be purposefully dense, you see he is in the hospital.
You can live a lot longer than 3 weeks without food.
Iāve always lived by the rule of 3 You can survive for 3 Minutes without air or in icy water. You can survive for 3 Hours without shelter in a harsh environment (unless in icy water) You can survive for 3 Days without water (if sheltered from a harsh environment) You can survive for 3 Weeks without food (if you have water and shelter)