Dysphagia Improved! :)

I bear good news today... It's such a relief to be able to give positive news on an improvement that Tesh has made.

First of all, the PA at the NS's office gave her a once over, and was pleased to say she sounds and looks great for surgery so far. We'll do blood work and all that the day before surgery. She must also have good levels with that as well.

Her swallow study went great. The Speech Pathologist said that he did NOT see any aspirating during the thicker fluids... YAY!!!! He said there was a little penetration still (meaning that it'll get a little caught in there, but then gets pushed out or coughed out) (if you think about it, whenever we drink and it goes down the "wrong tube"... it's kinda like that) He also explained that normally people swallow in one step, food is put in the mouth and with one act it's swallowed down into the esophagus. With her, she does it in 2 steps. food is put in the mouth, it travels down into her throat, sits for a split second, then is pushed down. He said that that looked pretty typical for a baby that doesn't have the experience of swallowing food. So it's going to just take some practice. He gave instructions for small bits of thin pureed foods, no scooped bits, just dip the spoon in the food. He said do this until she starts getting used to it and that I'd be able to tell when she's ready for bigger bits. After asking how long it might take her to get used to eating normal bits.. he answered, a couple weeks maybe. He sounded very optimistic about her case of dysphagia and said we wouldn't need to repeat the swallow study unless she's having problems again. He expects improvement from here on as we work with her slowly to learn how to eat food and has given the official permission to EAT!

We are going to wait until after surgery to start her on food again, as the PA suggested, to make sure that she doesn't accidentally aspirate something just before surgery, otherwise surgery won't happen. And we don't want to go there.

Every it looking up, and we are very thankful to our Merciful God for these blessings, and we are thankful to all of you for being so faithful in prayer over Teshura. Enjoy the pictures of our day today!

The car ride there!

Waiting to see the PA in the neurosurgeons office. She loves playing with paper.

On our way to the next appt. for the swallow study!

getting ready for the swallow study. She's strapped in and loved to play with them. This is her yummy looking barium... I believe they said raspberry flavored?? yuck! It don't matter what you do with it......

I'm not sure if she was in love with him...... or in love with his hair.... hmmmmm
either way, she's attracted to the speech pathologist. lol....
other pic- the baby disappeared! you can maybe see her little foot?

This is interesting... this is what we saw on screen as the barium goes down. You see the dark where her throat is? (she's facing left) That is where she'd hold it for a second and then let it go. so interesting....
(this one's for you Aunt Emily) *she's studying to be a speech pathologist:)

not very happy that they took her barium away... lol... she was hungry. She ate a whole bottle after this.