Swallow Study Sorrows

It's been a long day so I will jump right into it. Haddie was scheduled for a swallow study today. Our Dr. had heard the "wet" sound from her throat that we have grown accustomed to. Haddie has always had a different sound from her lungs but we just assumed that was Haddie. Back when she was in the NICU they kept waiting for that sound to go away before taking out her breathing tube after one particular surgery. A doctor finally said that's just how Haddie sounds and didnt worry too much about it. She passed a swallow study before we left the NICU.

We do notice that Hadassah coughs and chokes here and there during her feeds. But she usually takes most of it down unless she is sick. And she has been gaining weight.

But today we discovered through the swallow study that Haddie is aspirating. What that means is when she takes a drink most of it goes down her throat to her belly but some of it goes to the "pipe" that goes down to her lungs. If that continues to happen she can get infections or pneumonia in her lungs. We tried a couple of different sized nipples on the bottle but got the same result. They waited a couple of minutes and tried thickening the feed but that didnt seem to help because at that point the milk was already in the pipe.

Their suggestion is that we put back in the NG tube through her nose and feed her that way for a while until she develops some more.

Kate and I both hated that idea. To us, it's a step in the wrong direction. But we also have to do whats best for Haddie. We called the Help Me Grow speech therapist we see to get some advice. She said shes not entirely sure that Haddie wouldn't do well on thickened feeds. She says that once Haddie failed the regular flow nipples, the results of the next part where they tried thickening the feeds could be off.

Her suggestion was that we put the NG tube in for 2 weeks and then repeat the swallow study back in Akron. This time we will start with the thickened feeds and see how it goes. She even volunteered to go up with us so she can see the study. Its not that we, or her, distrust the people at Akron. It's just that they do not know Haddie.

If in 2 weeks when we do the study again Haddie also fails that test...then it's time to consider a G Tube which we do not want at all.

But that's life sometimes. God is still good and we are trying to see past this. Maybe this is His way of helping her not have issues with her lungs when she's older. I told Kate it will be one of those things we don't even remember down the road. But right now it's tough. We were very excited to get the tube out...we both cried tonight as we put the thing back in.

Pray for our faith to increase, Haddie not to remember all of the stuff we have to put her through...and a good result on her EEG test on Monday. God bless!