We met with a therapist today at Mary Free Bed for an evaluation and swallow study for Caedyn. The results were not what we had prayed for, but expected. Due to low muscle tone, Caedyn's swallow study came back abnormal. While she is not aspirating much food, if at all, she is still working hard to eat "real food" and drink most liquids. The swallow study itself was very interesting to watch. Caedyn was placed in a high chair and while fed some of her current favorite foods (mixed with Barium) while we watched where it went and how she swallowed. She did real well with PB and honey which the PT doesn't quite understand. She swallowed without much problem at all. She had trouble with her mac and cheese, applesauce and thin liquids. She did okay with yogurt but not well with a bite of cookie. It is obvious thickness and viscosity play a huge role in why she refuses to eat. She swallowed an awful lot trying to move the food down her throat and often it even got stuck under her tongue and on the roof of her mouth. She is at risk for aspiration pneumonia so we must be real choosy from now on with what food we feed her.
We start bi-weekly feeding therapy on Monday. We meet with the therapist as well as a dietician at MFB to set up a feeding plan to get her to eat the food she is having a hard time with and strengthen the weak muscles of her mouth and throat. Hopefully by February, we will be eating most food kids her age like to eat.
I can't believe how much I have taken for granted what it takes to eat at mealtime! It was amazing to see what kind of effort goes in to keeping our bellies full. We continue to move on to another chapter in Caedyn's life developmentally. I pray for strength for her and our family as I am sure therapy itself will be taxing as well as maintaining therapy appointments working full time. Thanks for all the kind words of support for all of us. I am humbled by all the wonderful people there are in our lives.
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