After we left the hospital we had support form Home Health Care (HHC) which was great, but we wondered who was guiding the recovery of this particular bodily function: getting food into the body.
We saw a Speech Therapist last week who gave me exercises to help with swallowing. She then waited for the okay from the insurance company for permission to continue. Yesterday, Dottie started calling the insurance Co., HHCS and the surgeon to try to get some movement to get this rehabilitation going.
Today it came together. The Speech Therapist got permission and came by. She said we would do some swallowing and set a bag on the table with my first real food in over 2 weeks. I was excited. She opened the bag a pulled out … YOGURT! I bit my tongue. I did not tell her how I felt about spoiled/curdled/fermented milk. She took a spoonful and offered it to me. I took a bite. I tasted it. I swallowed it. It was awesome. The muscles worked.
The Therapist returns on Friday and we may start soft foods. I know this is just a start, baby steps, but it is very reassuring. I'm still tethered, but there is some light sneaking in from behind that cloud.
Once you get started with yogurt, there's no turning back! Glad to hear progress is being made. Although it may seem the progress is slow, I'm amazed at how you are kicking butt. Sounds like you are not ending up on Blue Blvd after all...although that's still a great song! And great picture of our back yard, BTW....
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