<Tre's Updates>

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Taste of Success

I’m so excited about Tre’s progress with Speech. He’s adapting to his therapist but I have honestly been over stepping her.

Let me explain, being that Tre` had an ET tube in for so long he was unable to take food by mouth. Even when he was trached he was either sick or had a terrible therapist to assist him with speech.

The therapist he has now is in her “just getting to know you” stage…I think. Basically, she gets him to laugh, then she’ll stimulate his gums (doesn’t like that too much), she’d make him laugh, and stimulate his cheeks, and then she’d introduce a toy of some sort and try to get him to chew on it. However, Tre` has already mastered that part. Hey, if she likes it I love it.

I periodically ask her when she plans to introduce food or formula to Tre` and she’d tell me that she wants to do this, that, and the third. That’s not a good enough answer for me so I decided to pick up where the last therapist left off. Saturday, I grabbed a medication cup, a plastic spoon (you know the ones that have a multiple colors in a pack and you can wash or throw them away), and banana flavored Gerber’s 1st Foods. I scooped out 5cc. Last time he had baby food he only took about 3cc of his carrots. I didn’t expect him to even think of trying this but I gave it a shot. With motivation he took all 5cc! I was ecstatic! Jumping up and down and praising him like he won the lottery. In a way I felt like we did. Today, after church, I took 15cc out and allowed the bananas to get to room temperature. He and I played then I repeated what I did yesterday (Saturday). Sure enough the boy took 15cc. I got so excited I wanted to try more but I didn’t want to press my luck. He’s not taking each cc easy. It calls for stimulation, motivation, and some trickery. Hopefully, in days or weeks to come I can starch one of those off the list. Even if she continues to take 15cc, at least he’d be more comfortable about being an “eater.”

I’m not exactly sure if I’m going to share this with his therapist as of yet. She doesn’t see him again until Friday morning. I have some time to think on it. Besides, I don’t want her to feel intimidated. They are doing great with what they’re doing and we’re doing great with what we’re doing.

posted by Tre's Mom @ 11:31 PM

2 Comments:

At January 15, 2007 at 8:28:00 PM EST, ~k~ said…

YEAH!!! I am so excited for you (and Tre *wink* )! Personally, I would certainly share his newest accomplishment with the therapist! She may be a bit overly cautious since she's new. When she sees him actually eating she may have some good ideas that you can get started to make his eating more enjoyable!! Even if they don't agree with you, they won't stop you from feeding him, you know?

Anyway, Congrats! It's so exctiting!
At January 16, 2007 at 9:34:00 AM EST, Kara said…

Way to go Tre'!!! Keep up the good work!