Swallow study results

So, Chance had his swallow study this morning.  Of course he was sleep through it but the speech therapist had some tricks she used to help wake him up enough to eat a little.  The setting was very clinical, sterile, and cold.  They undressed him a bit, swaddled him, and set him up in this chair.  Then, he was given various thickened barium to swallow and they x-rayed as he swallowed.  He did aspirate one time during the study.  I just emailed the slp to ask which consistency he aspirated on.  I can't remember because they did so many and were going pretty quick through it.  Overall, she said he did pretty well.  He was not aspirating anywhere near the extent which wouldn't allow him to take food by mouth so yay!  His timing is a little off (suck and swallow) which is a preemie thing and he'll just grow out of it with practice.  She gave me different trials to do 1x a day like 1 oz of bm and 1 oz of a more thickened consistency.  About 10 min after the study, C began to cough a little, hiccup, and tear up a bit.  As I'd been suspecting, the slp also thinks he's refluxing.  The past couple of days he hasn't been much into eating.  It's been very frustrating for me lately.  There are so many pieces to Chance's puzzle and I don't have the luxury of putting them all together at once.  I put a call in to his pulm doc to ask about reflux meds.

So, the question still looms about what will happen after the 4 weeks is up with his ng tube.  Obviously, if he isn't taking enough entirely by mouth then he won't continue to grow and get enough nutrients that the ng can help provide.  I really just have to take it day by day.  As I should've realized by now, worrying does nothing.  Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

I'm going to start weaning his o2 tonight starting with 1 hour 2x a day then going to 2 hours 2x a day.

Please continue to pray for Chance's feedings.  They he can grow and strengthen and build up his stamina enough to take all feeds by mouth.