Challenges

Last night, I fed Rachel at our hotel room. Her meal consisted of 1 ounce of mashed carrots and 1/2 ounce each of pureed sweet potatoes and meatballs. Visually, 1 oz of mashed carrots is about the equivalent of a heaping tablespoon of tiny, soft carrot pieces. It took Rachel about 20 minutes to finish that first portion. When she was done, her face looked like she had just finished a marathon, not finished an ounce of carrots. She uses so much energy - and I think every face muscle she has - to get the food down. It is no wonder she doesn't like to eat mashed foods. The process is exhausting to her! It breaks my heart to watch her struggle and to feel powerless to help her. I think her fear is the biggest hurdle. She is so afraid she might choke, that she needs the food to be liquid before she will attempt to swallow it. The experts agree that exposure to the foods will help get her over the fear. Praise and encouragement really help, too. And I suspect a prayer or two could just get us over the hump...