So, this will hopefully be the last time we see the inside of a hospital room for a long time...hopefully ever. After some breathing issues, and continued weight dip...we are back. You are not hooked up to an IV this time, but a heart monitor and oxygen monitor.
We had a Barium Swallow test that was Awful to watch. This x-rayed liquid in your GI Track to make sure there were no obstructions or masses...and Thank God there are not. Everything was clear and working wonderfully. This is great, but left us with no answer.
Test number two was a swallow test that x-rayed your mouth and throat as you swallowed. Lo and behold it showed that when you swallow some of the liquid does not go to your esophagus but takes a trip to your air way and you aspirate. It is like an adult having their drink "go down the wrong tube" which results in a coughing fit. The problem is, is you have become non responsive to this and grown accustomed to it. This makes it difficult for you to finish a bottle because you eventually become uncomfortable and kind of give up. The thicker the formula the less you aspirate. So, we are now adding rice cereal to bottle to force you to swallow slower.
This is all something you will grow out of, but it is going to make the next several months tricky as we wait for your throat to mature and your head and neck control to increase. Thankfully, we now understand the crying, the raspy coo, the groggy breathing, etc. Laryngomalacia plays a small part in this, but nothing that is severe enough for surgery. Looks like we will just have to sit tight, have lots of patience, and prayer to carry you through all of this. The doctors and speech pathologists have reassured me that you will get better. I am looking forward to that :)
