A new month brings more feeding rehab! Today was day 1 of 3. He did SO well!!!! He started out playing in the large therapy room working on a few fine motor skills, then throwing the ball, and finally riding the step trainer to the rehab kitchen. He didn't gag or puke at all, it's the little things :) Pace had ham, yogurt, cheese and peaches today during breakfast. He ate the whole cheese stick, about 4 bites of yogurt, 1 slice of deli ham, and about 5 bites if diced peaches. He didn't say no, he willingly took bites, and cooperated with the little game we play 'First bite then BUBBLES!!' He loves that reward if blowing bubbles for taking a bite of food. After he ate, it was actually our time to be done for that session, but since Valerie and Linda didn't have an appt directly after us, they continued to work with Pace for another half an hour. They are so great! We went back to the gym and worked on oral motor skills. Blowing bubbles, using harmonicas and a kazoo. Fun and noisy!
Pace got an ab workout with that step trainer! Valerie wrote us an awesome letter of necessity to put into our EFMP packet for Pace. But because it didn't specifically say 'feeding therapy rehabilitation' it has to be rewritten to include it, even through his team of occupational therapy and speech therapy make up the feeding rehab specialists team. Good ol Holloman for ya! Valerie also had us scheduled for ELEVEN more feeding appts in 2 weeks before we even left for the day!
His 2nd appt went equally as well, he had tuna salad, Mac n cheese, and asparagus. He did well with the tuna salad, it's one of his favorites (and by 'favorites' I mean, that he will actually put a bite of it in his mouth and eat it, and take at least one bites) Pace wasn't too keen on the Mac n cheese, he can be hit and miss with it. The asparagus was new for him, and it's actually a huge milestone for him to just touch it without gagging, and put a bite into his mouth. He has a 'spit cup' that he can utelize during meals to get rid of the food he can't handle without having to spit it onto his plate. He put 5 pieces of asparagus into his mouth one at a time and spit them into the spit cup. It is such a good way to introduce him to new foods and not have the gagging effect for every bite!
DAY 2:
Today Pace didn't have such a great therapy session. He was given zucchinni, vanilla yogurt, sweet potato fries, veggie straws and oranges. He only gagged once, which was not due to him being grossed out by food, due to having trouble swallowing. Usually he gags just touching certain textures. He ate 2 segments of an orange, 6 bites of yogurt, 10 veggie straws and tried the sweet potato fries. He didn't care for the zucchini, but he did touch it without gagging. He also touched it to his mouth and spit it into the spit cup.
After therapy we went to lunch and then to Kirtland AFB here in Albuquerque so Levi could get a hair cut. Pacen enjoyed 4 Dunkin Donut munchkins (donut holes)! And for dinner he tried 3 bites of turkey, and about. 4 cubes of cheese.
I hope no one thinks the only food Pace gets for the day is what he attempts to eat (3-4 bites here and there), he still gets formula to fill the gaps from his lack of food. Pacen takes picky to a whole new level with oral aversion, slow motor planning, dyspagia, and sensory issues. He sure is a trooper though!
DAY 3:
Today Pacen had his 4th and final feeding rehab appt for this week. We started the appointment off playing with toys for about 10 minutes and helping his oral motor strength, this is how we start each feeding appt, so he isn't just forced into the rehab kitchen to sit in a chair for an hr. This is a more laid back approach, where Pacen takes the lead, and he isn't forced to do things that make him uncomfortable. He does reach the level where he gets uncomfortable with feeding therapy, and that's when we take a break and blow bubbles or ride a scooter for a few minutes. Pacen gets a sensory overload at times and just likes to crawl into his stroller and hide under the canopy to calm down.
He was served 3 jicama sticks, 4 grapes, 2 ritz crackers, 3 cubes of turkey, 2 potato wedges, sour cream and finally a donut hole as a reward since he had gobbled 4 of them the previous evening. Pacen didn't eat well for dinner the night before and didn't take his evening formula. He refused his 7am formula, so it had been from 5pm to 930am that he had not eaten anything.
Pacen crunched the two crackers up, and then surveyed his plate for a few minutes. He was hesitant about the turkey, but after dipping it in sour cream he was more accepting. Although the turkey is tender, it is tough for him to chew, due to his right sided weakness. He would mash it a few times and essentially swallow it whole. He didn't care for the jicama, but he did use the spit cup and touch it to his mouth, same with the grapes. He wanted nothing to do with the potato wedges. When it came time for the donut hole, he just mushed it up on the table and didn't want to eat it.
Somedays, I just despise feeding disorders, and wish eating wasnt such a troublesome issue. I am really thankful we have the support and resources to be able to take Pacen to Albuquerque for this feeding program to help him.
AND!! Exciting news!!
We got the letter of necessity for Pacen updated to be relocated from his feeding team. We are waiting on a hard copy to take to the clinic on base for the EFMP coordinator and we will be given our letter of support to apply for the reassignment!! I will update when I get any other information in the next several weeks!
No comments:
Post a Comment