You Count Your Blessings While They're There

So it's been about two months since I first began to get my swallow back, and the last month has provided me with considerably steady, if slow, improvement. Especially the last couple of weeks.

Since the trip to Minnesota, where I had my first cuppa joe in seven months, that blessed beverage has played a daily role in my life. Still, there are those dreadful capacity limitations, but that just makes the cup last an hour or so if I'm really working at it. Much longer, normally.

As it goes, I've been branching out. Testing my limits. Exploring new frontiers. And discovering places I now know I should not have gone.
Seems I have to stick to chewy or spongy foods. Anything that breaks down into particles will stick to the pipe, and the muscles are not Strong enough to push it down.
This means: No potatoes in any form. No course breads (bagels are OK). No chips. No crackers. No cookies or cakes. No fresh fruit.

Ground meat, and all it's forms (like sausage or burgers) is out.
Hot dogs are OK. Actually, they work quite well.
Beef must be medium rare, or rarer.
Dark meat fried chicken will work, but not the white meat (too dry, and breaks down too much).
Baked/grilled chicken skin (the best part) rocks.

Ice cream, pudding, and things of that nature are a big no no. They just coat the pipe like spackle on wall, and I can't swallow enough water to wash it down.
Any solid that melts in your mouth, like chocolate or cheese, is devastating in it's effects.
Same goes for things like heavy sugars, frostings, or glaze on a doughnut. I can do doughnuts with small nibbles and two to three sips of liquid in between, provided they are totally-naked plain.

Pasta is tricky in small bites, but the sauce builds up inside the throat. So, that's a no go, as well.
Asian noodles work great. Generally, just one or two noodles at a time, depending on the size. A bowl of udon lasts me over an hour. But it's a good,happy-time hour.
Nothing too salty. The salt dries me out, and I choke uncontrollably. That means no salamis (this sucks hard), and most canned/processed soups.

Fried and greasy is awesome. But it still won't salvage a potato. And the coating will make or break the whole dish. Breading: bad. Tempura: good.

Rice won't work. But sushi does, and does it beautifully.
As does canned fruit cocktail, peaches, pears, etc.
Steamed clams are great,too, and are the perfect size bite for me. (Avoid breaded clams.)

Beer and soda are troublesome. I guess it's the carbonation. I end up choking on it every time. Now,I leave my beer open for a long while, til it goes flat. Then I can enjoy sipping it.

I'm moving right along, and God willing, I'll be far enough along to go back to work when the disability payments run out near the end of July.
Fingers are crossed.