I am in total shock. If you are reading this, you need to sit down. Go ahead....I will wait.
Ready?
Last week I spent the week with Emily at her feeding clinic in Richmond. I was able to meet her therapist team face to face, and they had me sit in on just about every feeding session of the week. By the second day, they were having me take over the sessions so that I would be trained on how to carry this protocol out with her once the treatment time ends.
I have never seen a team of people that were able to make such an impact on kids with eating issues. Not just my kid. ALL OF THEM. There are about 5 families going through the program at a time, and we get to spend lots of time together between feeding sessions. We go to group therapy (the parents) and share our stories. Our kids play together. This program changed our lives.
Emily has put a lot of work into her chewing skills and strength. She is still pretty far behind her peers, but she can now successfully eat:
Along with many other things!!!!! LOOK AT THAT FREAKING MENU PEOPLE!!! She no longer eats her fruit pouches. We are donating them to the clinic for the kids who need to go from a feeding tube to purees. I don't have the words to explain how proud of her I am. Chewing is a very complicated skill. This is something that most people learn at infancy and develop slowing over the first few years of their lives. Her brain struggles to send the proper signals to her body to make the proper movements. She is literally LEARNING HOW TO EAT. Every meal is hard work. New textures, new flavors. Four times a day, she must endure being asked to eat what she doesn't prefer. We ask her to do it differently, we watch her and coach her. How annoyed most of us would be. This girl always finds a way to be happy. She is the most inspiring human being I know.
Ready?
Last week I spent the week with Emily at her feeding clinic in Richmond. I was able to meet her therapist team face to face, and they had me sit in on just about every feeding session of the week. By the second day, they were having me take over the sessions so that I would be trained on how to carry this protocol out with her once the treatment time ends.
I have never seen a team of people that were able to make such an impact on kids with eating issues. Not just my kid. ALL OF THEM. There are about 5 families going through the program at a time, and we get to spend lots of time together between feeding sessions. We go to group therapy (the parents) and share our stories. Our kids play together. This program changed our lives.
Emily has put a lot of work into her chewing skills and strength. She is still pretty far behind her peers, but she can now successfully eat:
- cheese pizza
- grilled cheese sandwich
- turkey and cheese sandwich
- mac and cheese
- cooked carrots
- peaches
- pears
- Cut bananas
- Oreos
- sweet potatoes
- french fries (both white and sweet potato)
- goldfish crackers
Along with many other things!!!!! LOOK AT THAT FREAKING MENU PEOPLE!!! She no longer eats her fruit pouches. We are donating them to the clinic for the kids who need to go from a feeding tube to purees. I don't have the words to explain how proud of her I am. Chewing is a very complicated skill. This is something that most people learn at infancy and develop slowing over the first few years of their lives. Her brain struggles to send the proper signals to her body to make the proper movements. She is literally LEARNING HOW TO EAT. Every meal is hard work. New textures, new flavors. Four times a day, she must endure being asked to eat what she doesn't prefer. We ask her to do it differently, we watch her and coach her. How annoyed most of us would be. This girl always finds a way to be happy. She is the most inspiring human being I know.
Do I have Spinach in my teeth????