The finish line is in sight...

Is it really possible that our month here in NJ is nearly over?

When I think of what was happening with our little family a month ago, and where we are today, I could cry great big tears of gratitude. A month ago, I was wondering if my son was going to need a feeding tube in order to survive. A month ago, eating 5 goldfish crackers and nursing all day without throwing up was a good day. A month ago, I was scared to give my son any sort of insulin, because he was so sensitive that a mere quarter unit would send him crashing over 300 points in the space of a few hours.

We have come so tremendously far in a short amount of time. He is asking to eat now -- we have seen him lunge after bagels, spaghetti, and cherry tomatoes, reach for glasses of milk, and use sign language to request the foods he would like to eat. It is nothing short of a miracle. To a parent with a child that doesn't have feeding issues, this may not seem like much at all, but to us, it has been truly life-changing -- and life-saving.

Everyone keeps asking if I'm nervous about going home. I guess I'm mildly anxious -- I wonder if the change in environment will have an impact on Richard O., or if he'll suddenly develop a new aversive behavior. On the other hand, he has been doing so beautifully on the weekends that I'm confident that we can handle any bumps that come our way. If one meal goes poorly, it doesn't mean that the next one will, too. It just means that we can do better. We will be back periodically for follow-ups -- how frequent those will be has yet to be determined -- but it's not like we will never see the team at St. Joseph's ever again.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with Richard O's progress and his participation in the program at the Center for Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing. These people clearly know what they are doing. That's not to say that I wholeheartedly embrace every aspect of their program (more about that in another post), but on balance, they were able to get to the bottom of Richard O's complex feeding issues (whereas a number of other doctors were not able to do so), and solve them.

I am so glad we opted for the intensive day treatment program, because the outpatient option clearly would not have adequately addressed our urgent needs. Has it been difficult to put our lives on hold for a month while we did this? Yes. Has it been worth it? Absolutely. Would I recommend the Center to another parent in our situation? In a heartbeat.