Speech with Michelle

Michelle, the speech gal, asked for Mom to be hungry on her visit last week, so she could see Mom eat.  Monica brought bread pudding on Sunday, so I saved a big piece for Mom's Tuesday breakfast.  I did not feed Mom before Michelle came, so she would be hungry.  Of course, I talked to Mom about it, so she knew.  By the time Michelle got there Mom was really hungry.  She ate that bread pudding like a champ all by herself.  Michelle was pointing out Mom's weaknesses in her swallow, and none of this is anything we have not already heard.  Mom does have weakness on the right side of her mouth, just like the rest of her body.  Now, I agree Mom should not have a plate of food when no one is around, but she can chew just fine. Her swallow is such that Mom has never choked or even come close to choking when she is ingesting anything from water to big bites of éclair.  It takes her a minute to chew some bites, and occasionally she will lose a piece of food out the right side of her mouth, but what I am noticing is that she is becoming more aware of this as we move forward.  In the beginning a piece of food would sit on her chin until I scooped it up, now she always reaches up to catch it before I can help her.  This feels like progress to me.  Mom rolls her eyes when they talk about food and eating, and I am in full agreement.  Mom eats just fine, the mission now is to increase the intake by mouth stretching her belly.