What's the Magic Number??

Sloane has swallowing therapy on Thursday. It will be our first appointment since June. We will be meeting with a new SLP so it might not be as productive as it has been in the past. Sloane had built a relationship with Courtney, our old SLP, and would usually perform for her friend. As for Thursday, Sloane did meet Cara, our new SLP, last month during our appointment with Dr. Rahbar but has no prior experience with her.

Sloane is safely drinking 5 1/2 oz. of liquid to one packet of nectar Simply Thick today. The goal of Thursday's appointment on my end will for Sloane to simply drink in front of Cara. I see no signs of aspirations. There are some coughs but in my mommy opinion they are because Sloane is swallowing too much liquid at once. There are times when she could use some management with the amount of liquid she sucks thru the straw in one sip. She can be a piggly wiggly!

On Thursday, I have to chat with Cara about when all the thinning is done. I am not sure of how many ounces of liquid added to the Simply Thick make the liquid natural consistency. What is the point? Is it 8 ounces to one packet or more?? What's the magic number? I am asked that question a lot and I feel foolish to not know the answer.

My hope is that we will see Cara on Thursday for our September appointment and then one more time in mid-October. I would like to have 2 appointments with her before our follow-up with Dr. Rahbar on October 30th. On October 30th, he/we will evaluate her progress and decide if it is time to have a swallow study to get more diagnostic proof of Sloane's swallowing capabilities. That is not as scary to me as the other discussion we may have. It is the one that will revolve around whether or not, Dr. Rahbar will perform surgery on Sloane's cleft for a 2nd time in the near future to help her improve her swallow. That discussion is one that I spend not time thinking about at this point...I can not bare it.

I don't think I mentioned this yet but Dance Class started up again AND, as if that is not fun enough, my niece S is taking it with Sloane. YUMMY.......is all I have to say. My SIL and I laugh for the entire 45 minutes. The girls are a complete comedy show!! Today, the "aunties" and G came to watch. S2 could not contain themselves. It was a freaking screaming, jumping, hand waving, twirling contest!!! Moments like this are once in a lifetime.