Swallow Study Tomorrow

One more update... I've got to take Ethan back to UNC tomorrow for another swallow study. This will be his third time doing the study so I'm really asking for a lot of prayer that he will pass the test this time around. It's routine to do a barium swallow study on heart surgery patients shortly after surgery (Ethan had his first study about 2 weeks after surgery) to see if there was any nerve damage from the surgery since the heart is so close to the nerves that affect swallowing and aspirating. We were going to wait and have Ethan's 2nd swallow study around the time of Ethan's 2nd surgery, but I was just so impatient and Ethan's eating time had improved so much that we ended up having his 2nd swallow study back in October, when Ethan was 2 months old. Now that he's 6 months old and has had his 2nd surgery, we're able to do a 3rd study. Ethan came so close to passing his 2nd study, so please join us in prayer that he can definitely pass this time around.

In case you're just joining our blog or in case you forgot what this swallow study reveals, here's a quick recap. I believe there are different types of swallow studies so in the swallow study that Ethan does, he is given a bottle of barium to drink while he gets an x-ray done of his throat and chest. The x-ray technician watches closely to make sure that Ethan swallows the liquid down his throat and into his stomach, without any liquid silently aspirating (being swallowed into his lungs without him coughing). Ethan will pass if he doesn't silently aspirate.

When Ethan had his first study done, it was taking him about 30 minutes to drink about an ounce of his bottle and he was getting too tired, which was part of the reason for the aspiration. I had the 2nd study done because he was up to drinking 4 ounces in under 3 minutes. Now, at 6 months old, Ethan drinks 5-6 ounces in 3 1/2 minutes. The swallow study lasts for about 20 minutes, which I don't think is very accurate because he never takes that long for a bottle, but I learned that they push the babies that long to "prove" that it's still possible for him them to silently aspirate.

I am more nervous about this swallow study than about both heart surgeries combined. I really want Ethan to pass so that we don't have to bother with thickening his bottles any longer. But more importantly, I want him to pass so that we don't have to worry about him silently aspirating in the event that he gets another stomach bug (like he had the day after we came home from the hospital last month) and has to take Pedialyte, which I can't seem to get anyone to tell me how to thicken. Also, if we don't have to thicken his drinks, then I'll be able to start giving him more variety of liquids like juice and water.

So, (as if I haven't said this enough already) please join us in prayer today and tomrrow that Ethan can pass his study finally. Our appointment is at 2:30 on Tuesday, 2/26 at UNC. Thanks in advance for your prayer and support!