Monday was a very monumental day for our Bradley.
He passed a swallow study.
He can swallow liquids again without aspiration!
It's a joy to feed him normally again.
While we were waiting to go into the procedure there was another baby boy there.
He looked to be two months old. I saw his feeding tube sticking out of his blanket.
He looked to be two months old. I saw his feeding tube sticking out of his blanket.
I smiled at the Dad, who looked tired and stressed and said, "We have a g-tube too!"
The father instantly perked up.
"REALLY?" he replied.
I told him it would get easier when he got the mickey button.
The baby had only had his tubie for 3 weeks and was still venting 24/7.
The dad asked why we had a g-tube.
I said because he aspirates liquids.
The father looked at me with a blank stare.
The mother came back from registering for their procedure.
She seemed interested in the conversation.
Their baby looked gaunt and very small.
VERY much like Bradley had looked in the NICU.
I told the mom Bradley's story.
She looked at me blankly.
She asked if Bradley was having trouble gaining weight.
It seemed like an odd question to me but I responded,
"Before they figured out that he was aspirating; he did not gain weight."
She still had a blank stare like she didn't know what I was talking about.
I thought they had a g-tube too and so she would know.
But she didn't act like she did.
Their names were called and they went into the procedure.
The walls were thin and I didn't mean to overhear but I did.
Their baby was aspirating too. He was a silet aspirator.
He hadn't been gaining weight and his Doctor had ordered a feeding tube because he wouldn't eat with his mouth while he was in the hospital.
But NO ONE had done a swallow study on him.
And because he wasn't gaining with the supplements through the tube,
his doc had ordered a swallow study.
THAT'S WHY SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD I WAS SAYING.
They had a similar situation they were just finding it out in a different order than we were.
When they were finished they came out.
The mom was as white as a ghost and looked like the air had been knocked out of her.
I felt a twinge of her pain.
Reminded me so much of the time I had found out about my boy.
IT IS SO SCARY TO HAVE A CHILD THAT ASPIRATES!
Every time they cough you worry they are regressing.
And then to hear that it is neurological is not easy either.
A HUGE WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS.
I will never EVER forget where we were.
This has been the biggest challenge of my life.
And I'm so grateful it was so short lived.
I'm going go give Bradley a bottle now and savory every moment of it!
She still had a blank stare like she didn't know what I was talking about.
I thought they had a g-tube too and so she would know.
But she didn't act like she did.
Their names were called and they went into the procedure.
The walls were thin and I didn't mean to overhear but I did.
Their baby was aspirating too. He was a silet aspirator.
He hadn't been gaining weight and his Doctor had ordered a feeding tube because he wouldn't eat with his mouth while he was in the hospital.
But NO ONE had done a swallow study on him.
And because he wasn't gaining with the supplements through the tube,
his doc had ordered a swallow study.
THAT'S WHY SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD I WAS SAYING.
They had a similar situation they were just finding it out in a different order than we were.
When they were finished they came out.
The mom was as white as a ghost and looked like the air had been knocked out of her.
I felt a twinge of her pain.
Reminded me so much of the time I had found out about my boy.
IT IS SO SCARY TO HAVE A CHILD THAT ASPIRATES!
Every time they cough you worry they are regressing.
And then to hear that it is neurological is not easy either.
A HUGE WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS.
I will never EVER forget where we were.
This has been the biggest challenge of my life.
And I'm so grateful it was so short lived.
I'm going go give Bradley a bottle now and savory every moment of it!
