A pin-prick of light?

At the end of the tunnel that is. I'm almost afraid to type this, I don't want to "jinx" it. I will blame my superstitious nature on my Celtic and Sicilian roots - see? I had no chance there. Anyway, it seems that maybe, just maybe Drew is making some progress with the eating! There, I said it. Typed it. Whatever. Nothing bad happened. Knock on wood.

Yesterday we had an appointment with Drew's GI doc. I was fully expecting to be told that I would need to go ahead and get a G-tube (a feeding tube placed directly into the stomach) surgery done for Drew. He has had an NG (nasal gastric - goes in his nose, down his throat to his stomach) tube for a year now - almost unheard of. At the time of Drew's last appointment he had developed a swallowing aversion. He absolutely would NOT swallow ANYTHING. His reflux had gotten so severe that he was violently throwing up 4-5 times a day. His GI doc prescribed Reglan and he started doing better. For the past 2 weeks he has slept through the night (pretty much). He doesn't throw up any more! At all! Well, except that one time he cried himself sick - darn that separation anxiety. He has just the occasional spit-up now, just like a regular baby. This was all very good news, I know, but he still wasn't really eating, just spitting it back out. So even though he was keeping the tube-food down, I figured it would just take too long to get him eating (like years) and I would just have to suck it up and get the G-tube. Just in the past couple days though he has really seemed to be doing better with eating. He still spits his food back out, but he seems, well, more interested in the food. So I told this all to his GI doc at our appointment yesterday. She feels he is doing very well. It takes some time for the esophagus to heal she said, lets see what happens in the next two months. YAY! I know it may sound nuts to some of you moms who have the G-tubes because most people like the G-tube better than the NG - let's just say I have my reasons for not wanting to go the G-tube route. I was happy, but still a little wary. I was thinking, are we just postponing the inevitable? If he has to get it, why wait?

Well, today we had our feeding therapy appointment. His FT said she sees a definite improvement. A. DEFINITE. IMPROVEMENT. He is actually swallowing a tiny bit of his food! wooo hooo! So, there is my little pinprick of light. It is small. But I can see it.

Oh, and the frosting on the cake ---- as we were leaving the therapy appointment I noticed a tiny crumb of cookie on Drew's shirt. Instead of picking up and flicking it (like a normal person), I stuck it in his mouth (I know, I know, I'm gross) and I felt a little.. bump? ridge? on his bottom gums. Methinks my little guy may FINALLY be getting a tooth!