Well, I was presuming wrongly in yesterday's post that the reason for the swallowing test was to insure against aspiration. While it's true that breathing foreign objects like chunks of lamb into the lungs is not desirable, the test is really just to make sure that with the new tube in place, Tim's swallowing mechanism hasn't gone kerpfluie. In medicalese, they want to test for dysphagia.
This afternoon the speech-language pathologist arrived too late to conduct the videofluoroscopic speech study. (Sounds like Tonya knows about 'em.) Instead, today's swallowing pre-test was a blue-dye food test. Tim ate some blue pudding and then they suctioned to make sure it wasn't in his airways (it wasn't). The blue food test isn't conclusive re aspiration, though, and doesn't tell anything about dysphagia. You might want to read the long article on the right sidebar ("Swallowing in Patients with Tracheotomies"), if only to see how many citations are from Dr. Logemann. You don't have to wonder how he decided on a calling.
Other big events of the day (besides the guys singing on American Idol) included the return of Dr. Pulmonologist, who, like Dr. OtherP, has decided to follow Tim's lead and let him set the pace of weaning. Tim elected to go all night tonight on wean. Wish him luck, but he also says he doesn't intend to push it. Dr. P. and Tim talked about his taking The Vest home, too, so maybe he will be wearing it on that Harley.
Dr. OtherInfectious isn't the least bit worried about his weekend temps. And his chest sounds excellent, they say.
Let's hope tomorrow brings more good news. Good night and good wishes.
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