Barium Swallow Study.

We got up pretty early (for us...I'm NOT a morning person...if you know me...you know that!! :) to head to Spokane last Friday. We get to Sacred Heart on time (!!!!!! thats a first!) and go for Azlan's appt. He had to fast all morning so while the other children are eating treats and getting juice, I kept telling Azlan he was going to have awesome food at the doctor :) He sits in a high chair and there is a tray of pure heaven for my boy. Literally bags of cheetos, animal crackers, chocolate milk, chocolate pudding...he is DROOLING. Of course don't tell him its all dipped in disgusting thick barium goo!! No problem. He loved it all. The speech therapist said she has NEVER had a child do so well with the test! She said they all gag and cry...I told her Azlan pretty much lacks taste buds :) So we really got to see what was happening which was pretty cool to watch. He swallowed very well, clean swallows, definitely no aspiration. We kept going. Then we started to see food drip over the point where he would feel it and swallow earlier. We didn't do it long enough to see him actually aspirate ... however... it was clear that after 10 minutes of eating his muscles got tired and lazy and his swallows were not clean at all. It told them what they needed to know.

A) Mama is NOT making it up that he aspirates!! :) Important one ;)

B) that he does need therapy to strengthen those muscles.

C) that we do need to continue to modify what he does eat so we don't complicate it. She said its not best to have him save all his food for meals b/c he tires. He needs to snack moderately etc. Well thats no issue, he does that :)

So in 15 minutes I texted Dean and he was SHOCKED that we were done! We had fun...found a fabulous new fave restaurant "the Onion" and plan to hit it again when we go back on the 17 :)