...

My stomach is housing a swarm of butterflies. Monday Jonah goes back up to the hospital to meet with a team of doctors. Luckily one of the doctors, See's Jonah in the F.U.N. clinic on a regular basis. The other is an ENT doc.

Jonah will have another Fees study done. the last time one was given, was before Jonah had his feeding tube placed in 2008. A Fees study stands for Fiber optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. It assesses swallowing, without X-rays. The (ENT) ear nose and throat doctor passes a small, flexible, custom-designed scope, attached to a camera, through his nose and into the middle of his throat. It will record pictures of his throat and voice box when Jonah swallows liquids.The FEES also provides information on how well Jonah swallows secretions - or identifies if secretions, liquids, are being aspirated into the airway. It will be the ruling as to if he will continue to be NPO (No liquids orally) or if we can return to a more "normal" with J and once again move forward to get him off a feeding pump. Of course our hope is for the latter.

I can't help but dwell on the fact that if he doesn't pass this will be another blow to Jonah's "catching up" with feeding. But on the other hand if he can't take liquids orally I know that it is because we need to protect his lungs.