Braden had a VFSS (swallow study) done again yesterday...about 6 months since the last one and YAH...he shows quite a bit of improvement. The pathologist who did his study yesterday is very good and we've been really happy with her recommendations so far. Now, with agreement from the doc. she says to go ahead and slowly reintroduce regular liquids. We're on a slow and steady schedule that should wean him off the thickened liquids over a month or two IF he shows no signs of fever, chronic cough or too much choking and sputtering when drinking. He has to start with juice boxes because they have a skinny, little straw that should keep him drinking at a slower pace and we can regulate how quickly he drinks by pinching the straw if he's going to fast. It's like we still have to teach him how to drink. He has to drink slowly and with small sips until he is able to control it himself (if that makes sense).
Before he is completely weaned from thickened liquid and drinking any old way and any old stuff, he has to go back and have another swallow study to give him a clean bill of health. They are hoping to do this all over the next eight weeks. Of course, we have been disappointed before with how he handles changes in his drinking so we won't hold our breaths for big leaps and bounds but in the meantime we are very thankful that he does seem to be heading down the right road at the moment.
