That was a quick week, although at times it seemed like we might not make it, between R's allergies and Brian's swallowing attacks. R left with a cough, but the other symptoms were a lot better. I actually felt sad this morning that he was leaving, although I guess it does get tiring trying to keep someone entertained all the time, even though he was pretty good on occasion about just going into his room and watching tv. I think he was just happy to have his own room to go into, and he enjoyed the pool in the yard as well. I made him up a little photo book, and stuck it in his suitcase along with some glowsticks, glowing bracelets and glowing necklaces to take home. He loved them when we took him to the beach on his first night here. Kevin said he broke out the photo book on the train ride home. I'm sure he is tired and a little sad. Sounds like he doesn't do much other than play video games and watch tv at home.
As for Brian, the swallowing seemed better yesterday but I wasn't really able to keep asking him about it, because I'm trying to downplay it for a week or so. After claiming that his pasta and cheeseburger were getting stuck on Wednesday, he didn't have breakfast yesterday other than a little drinkable yogurt, but then he asked for money for a muffin, which I didn't give him because he wasted the whole muffin the time before (not because of swallowing). I took them all to Panera, where Brian likes the soup in the sourdough bread bowl, and he ate pretty much the whole thing, I guess his hunger had caught up with him by then. Then he had a little fruit. Kevin said his popcorn chicken and tater tots at night went down without incident, too.
When we got home, he ate some gluten-free cookies I had bought, they're sort of cardboardy but they dissolve in your mouth so it would be impossible to choke on them, and also a chocolate bar that E left behind. I had told R he could have any of the stuff she left to eat, and he said that he had eaten a chocolate bar and it tasted like potatoes. So of course Brian had to try it, and it went down fine. I have noticed that throughout this swallowing issue, a few safe foods have emerged: ice cream, cookies, chocolate, as well as a cure: playing xbox. So we'll see today if the anxiety of having R around was a contributing factor. R was very loud at times and could get under your skin when he was riled up. And being the closest in age and gender, Brian was sort of his assigned caretaker most of the time, although he usually shirked that responsibility, especially after the swallowing issues began.
Anyway, a couple of other things could have contributed. It turns out that he had been drinking 2-4 iced teas a day in the basement, and he also had just been to the dentist where some inept hygienist had left him with his tongue feeling numb. I don't like to complain, but I think the next time I'm going to request that he not get her. I think Megan had her the time before, and she was the one who told Megan it was OK to swallow the fluoride treatment. I was horrified! They're never getting fluoride again anyway, I found out after that that our insurance won't pay for it once they turn 14 anyway. So I am trying to continue to remain calm, but Brian and his chiari will haunt me forever anyway.
In other news, the day is beginning to look like a good one outside, but I have laundry and cleaning to do, in preparation for the week away next week, as well as for the party Megan is planning with about 25 kids from the swim team tonight. And she won't be home all day, as she is at the school now and will be at the hospital later. She is really sad that the school job is ending, and she has to miss all of next week for swimming and one day the following week for Cape May. That's the last week of the program and she has really grown to enjoy the preschool. But now I must be going, because Wilbur is on the prowl, and I have to make sure he doesn't pee on the rug. I'm trying to get him used to having a little freedom. Most of the time he is either in a crate or tethered to something, and I'm afraid he'll never learn that way. Sigh.
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