Monday, April 8, 2013

Mason's Pharyngeal Flap Surgery

Mason had his surgery at Boystown Hospital last Tuesday, April 2--one week ago. He stayed the night two nights in the hospital recovering. He's still in quite a bit of pain, mostly when eating. He's still on a "soft diet" which has included pancakes, eggs, yogurt, applesauce and ice cream. He's not been very hungry or thirsty, probably because it hurts each time he swallows. He walks around with a mouthful of saliva and holds it as long as he can before he swallows or it leaks out his mouth! He hasn't tried putting his hands or toys in his mouth during the day. That pain must be a good reminder for "hands out"! At night we do put his arm restraints on so he doesn't put his blanket into his mouth like he loves to do. That makes sleeping pretty uncomfortable for him.

Here's a diagram of the before/after details of the surgery:

I think his speech sounds less nasal than before, just judging from the little bit of talking he's doing. We'll see what he sounds like after the swelling goes down.

We go back to see the surgeon on April 23rd. The easy part is done--the surgery. Now we continue on the hard road to recovery. It will all be worth it, that's for sure. We've seen evidence of what this surgery can do for speech through Zach.

Thanks for all your prayers and help during this time!