Swallowing and eating are things most of us take for granted, but for people who've lost the ability to swallow, there is hope.

In 1987 Clarence Rogers was diagnosed with throat cancer. He had successful surgery and things were going along fine until this past May. The cancer returned, he had surgery and a feeding tube was put in place along with some bad news from his doctor. "He said I don't think you'll ever eat solid food again."

Well, if you know Clarence; you know he wasn't going to just take the doctor's word for it. He began physical therapy sessions and utilizing a device known as a "vital stim. Physical therapist Barbara Pagano-Westgate says "I would do the soft tissue work or the massage type of exercises or passive range of motion to the neck, providing them with increased blood flow, increased range of motion, which then helps with the vital stim."

Speech therapist Stacey Brill says that "The vital stim is the only FDA approved electrical stimulation unit for dysphasia patients."

Impaired muscle groups are identified and electrodes are put in place. The vital stim continually contracts the targeted muscles for 57 seconds at a time. Each session is 60 minutes. Through his vital stim sessions, Clarence has regained much of his ability to swallow. "This program has really helped."

Stacey adds, "He's eating everything he wants from steak to pizza to fish and he was told that peg tube realistically was not going to come out."

To find out if you qualify for vital stim, ask your doctor for a referral.

Clarence wants people to know that they should never just ignore a sore throat that won't go away. See your doctor and be persistent to find out what's going on, as in Clarence's case, it was cancer.