Success!

Today was a breakthrough with Natalie's swallowing therapy: she drank six ounces, whereas for the past several months it's been a struggle to get her to drink one or two ounces during therapy (she will drink 6 ounces at home).

Today she ate adult hot dogs (very salty) before we went and I gave her very little to drink (trying to make her thirsty). But I think the clincher was that we put some Pediasure in her skim milk (skim milk is thinner than whole milk...we only use skim for therapy purposes to practice drinking thin liquids). Of course, it's the sugar in the Pediasure that got her to chug a lug it down in 15 minutes. But Pediasure adds a little thickness, so I'm going to make a sugar syrup to add to her milk at therapy...otherwise, it's a waste of time to go to therapy if she doesn't drink. At home, she still gets just whole milk, thickened a little to be safe.

Hopefully now we can make some progress on drinking thins, get another swallow study soon, and get discharged!