The most disgusting thing I have ever seen
I finally relented and took Zoe back in for another swallow study. This test has to be the biggest dichotomy I’ve ever seen, which may be why it took me a year and a half to repeat it. This test is to determine whether a person is getting fluid into their lungs when drinking THIN liquids. In order to test this they sit you in an x-ray room and give you a THICK liquid called Barium that tastes absolutely horrid and then watch you swallow it on an x-ray machine.
What is Barium you ask? Well, here is a small example of what you can find if you Wikipedia the term. “a soft silvery metallic alkaline earth metal”, “Barium nitrate and chlorate give green colors in fireworks”, “Barium carbonate is a useful rat poison and can also be used in making bricks”. In just the right combination, it is Barium sulfate, used as “a radiocontrast agent for X-ray imaging of the digestive system”. This is how I define it, “gross”.
The first time we did this test Zoe just wouldn’t drink it so she “passed her test”. She has choked on almost every drink since. This time when I took her in I got an 8am appointment, didn’t give her anything to eat or drink until the test and the girl was so thirsty she actually drank it, at least a little. She didn’t do any of her dramatic super choking where she acts like she can’t breathe but instead aspirated into her lungs small amounts and then didn’t cough. She’s now labeled a “silent aspirator”. In reality she’s just polite and silently aspirates in public whereas at home she really lets loose.
I really thought she was coughing it all up; I’ve been assuring all the doctors that she coughs it all up. Guess what? She doesn’t cough it all up. Last winter is beginning to make more sense. The technician explained to me that the body has to work really hard to get that fluid out of there and not get respiratory infections from it so when a virus hits the body it’s a double stress for the lungs.
To solve this little problem all of her liquids need to be “nectar thick”. All her liquids. Including water. Can you picture “nectar thick” water? It is WRONG. It makes me want to vomit and I am not a squeamish person. I have seen tubes go where they should never be put (or placed them myself), gore-tex holding her rib cage together, lots and lots of blood along with various other bodily fluids and been fine. Apparently, “nectar thick” water is where I draw the line.
Here’s the craziest part. She likes it. Praise Jesus she likes it! She can’t get enough of it. She drank 40 ounces of it today. I guess there is something enduring about a liquid that doesn’t leave you fighting for breath afterwards.
wyndi said,
February 10, 2009 at 12:43 pm
izzy HAD TO HAVE THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER WE USE SIMPLY THICK PACKETS WHICH MAKE IT EASIER TO TRAVEL RUN AROUND ECT WITH. IT OU THINK THCK WATER IS GROSS YOU SHOULD SEE THICK ELEMENTAL FORMULA! LOOKED NASTY AND SMELLED LIKE CATFOOD! i DON’T KNOW HOW IZZY EAT IT!
IT IS GOOD THAT YOU HAD HER DO THIS THOUGH HELPS PROTECT HER UNGS AND ASPIRATING HURTS SO HOPEFULLY SHE WILL BE ABLE TO STAY HYDRATED ORE! WOW BUT YES THICKEN LIQUIDS ARE WEIRD! ! HUH!
wyndi said,
February 10, 2009 at 12:43 pm
sorry about caplock stillneed to get a newkeypad!
Heather McCann said,
February 10, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I completely understand your frustration with the swallow stucies. Molly has been through 3 or 4 of them and they were never successful. Her last one she managed about 2 swallows and they gave her a “pass” as well. I don’t know…she eats fine at home, but given the definition of barium you shared, I don’t blame her for refusing the nasty stuff
wyndi said,
February 11, 2009 at 8:01 pm
we have some simply thick left that we no longer need if you want it~
She wants to do swimming classes but I worry that she could aspirate the pool wter whic is dngrouse, she has passed her study now.
I need feed her anything before a swallow study kinda treat it like surgery o she would at and for her the barium tasted better than the formula she was on sad h! she loved the study and would drink too fast and fail right away and then get angry to loss the bottle or cup since it was tasty in compare to her stuff. when she got older we mixed the barium with juice and that helped but i am sure now tht she has had so many different foods she would fight about drinking it now too!
Gina said,
May 28, 2009 at 11:45 am
My heart goes out to you. My mother recently had a stroke, and she can only consume nectar thick liquids.