We now have an answer to our question as to why Jack just recently started aspirating. Jack has a congenital abnormality called a laryngeal cleft, basically he has an extra bit of space around his vocal cords which allows some food to trickle into his trachea. Basically what it sounds like from an ENT and pulmonology viewpoint is that this cleft has allowed him to aspirate this whole time but just recently his reflux calmed down enough and the inflammation in his esophagus decreased enough for the aspiration amounts to increase. From what they have told us, is that they will allow him to continue with his NJ feedings, decrease the inflammation from his reflux, and in a couple weeks, repair the cleft and once he is allowed, start bottle feeds again. Turns out that the trace aspiration he has been having is what has probably kept him on oxygen but we don't know for sure.
They also found 2 other abnormalities during the procedure today, so they are planning on doing a CT scan tomorrow to check those out and make sure it isn't anything major.
Hopefully we will be heading home soon, then we'll be back in for another surgery to repair the cleft and then we'll hopefully not run into anything else majorly wrong!
::July 2021::
2 years ago
Definitely let Jess and I know if there is anything we can do.
ReplyDeletePS...Jack's Aunt might correct you on the vocal cords...I was corrected many times in my day...vocal folds. Silly speech pathologists!
When do you get to go home? You have to be so sick of peds! I hope this all gets him off the O2 so he can finally be really cordless.
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