Are You Gonna Eat That?

Hi there! Whatcha been doing this week? Well, it has been a busy week for me.

First, some bad news. Mom and Dad received a call from Kennedy Krieger, the feeding clinic in Baltimore. Apparently our insurance company refused to cover this treatment. Their medical director claimed that we "...have not exhausted all outpatient treatment options." This was my reaction.

Are you kidding me?

I have been receiving outpatient treatment for my entire life. I have been an outpatient at Riley Childrens Hospital with their speech therapist, a occupational therapist came to my house regularly, I see a speech/feeding therapist twice a week, and Mom's a registered dietitian. Exactly what else was I supposed to do? That's the interesting part. The insurance company didn't provide any explanation as to what they considered "outpatient care". I may be a couple of numbers on someone's balance sheet, but to imply that Mom and Dad have not exhausted all available treatment options is not just frustrating beyond words, it highlights the ignorance and callousness of medical insurance companies. Fortunately, the Kennedy Kreiger is appealing the decision.

In the interim, I just have to sit here and wait......

......and wait.

In the meantime, check out this video..........

That's right, I've had a major breakthrough recently. That's the good news. Go ahead play it again. Mom and I have been working really hard lately using a slightly different strategy. I am eating about half a container of Stage 2 baby food (~ 2 ounces) at almost every meal! Mom and Dad are just over the moon about this. They were a little afraid to tell everyone the big news at first--you know, didn't want to celebrate too soon and jinx ourselves. But I have been going strong for about a month now. We think this is our Easter miracle.

So far, I like to eat peaches, blueberries, pears, bananas, and apricots.

I even tried some vegetables but I don't like those nearly as much. I am also sipping milk through a straw. Last week we all went grocery shopping. While we were standing in the baby food aisle, Mom mentioned how incredible it was to shop for food that I was actually going to eat rather than buying something knowing it was going in the trash. I'm not wolfing down a 6" Subway Club on wheat just yet, but at least I have a good start.

I've been told that many of you out there are praying for me. I want you to know that these prayers are being heard and answered, and our family cannot even begin to express our gratitude. These prayers are the best gift you can possibly give me.

This is how a lot of my spoonfuls end up - the "yuck" face. But, I'm still trying hard.

I'm ready to eat. I've been waiting a long time for those apricots.

In other news, guess who is such a big girl that she can negotiate ALL of the playground equipment on her own?

Me! Me! Me!.

Mom and Dad took me to the park and I was able to climb all of the ladders, go down all the giant slides, and play just like the big kids all on my own. I HAVE NO FEAR!!!

See ya next week!