Austin's New Diet

2013

Did you know Austin has a G-Tube? I've recently discovered that lots of people who know us don't know this about him.  Or that he had a kidney transplant or how the two are connected. 

Up until about a month ago we used commercial formula in a can like Boost or Pediasure to supplement his calorie intake. Then we met an AMAZING dietitian who talked to me about a blenderized diet. She wasn't just amazing because she talked about a different way to supplement calories, a way that made sense to me, but because she said, "I prefer to work on enhancing his acceptability and relationship with all foods, and then in the long-term we can focus more on healthful eating. We are just not there yet, and I am not compelled to get there fast."  

I was blown away.  I've never had a dietitian talk about moving slow or not focusing on Austin eating his greens. Not once, ever. As we started working towards being Austin's partner, this idea that Austin HAS to eat his greens and he HAS to hurry up and eat enough to not need his G-Tube became problematic. Eating green beans needed to take a back seat. It was time we focused on happiness and feelings of safety around food.

One of the first things we did when we left the doctors office that day was talk to Austin about how he felt about changing the kind of formula he got. As much as I wanted to try this new way to supplement calories, I knew I wouldn't do it if Austin wasn't on board. I knew it was very possible Austin- with the way he feels about most whole food- was not going to be on board. I knew if it was not an option today didn't mean it wouldn't be an option tomorrow. It was important to me he know he could say he wanted to stop at any point. He told us he was OK trying it, but wanted to go slow. 

Something else that was really important to me for Austin to know was that he has absolute veto power as to what goes into a homemade formula. He said no spinach so no spinach it was. I will confess I got a little ahead of myself and DID put spinach in the blender at first. As we talked about what was in the formula he was getting one day, I named:  milk, brown rice, chicken, and spinach. I was met with, "WHOA! SPINACH! No more spinach! That's disgusting, mom!"  

It may seem like it doesn't matter, but it absolutely does. Just because he isn't taking a piece of food onto a fork, placing it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing a food doesn't mean he can't taste it. He can, but even more important than that is this: it's his body and he gets to say what goes into it. 

We've learned some lessons together along the way like: not all food can be blended enough to go through a tube.  Wheat berries for example are not very bendable.  They clog the tube and cause all kinds of chaos trying to unclog. Blueberries cause the same problem and have left Austin and I covered in a purple, alien like goop after I learned that you can't use sheer force to unclog a tube or it'll back fire.  

Through all the chaos and mistakes though, Austin has been patient, kind, and curious. It's a whole different game blenderizing food and I am so grateful to have such an amazing kid who is so willing to give it a shot.

If you're curious at all, I've kept another blog on our progress here. If you know anything about blenderizing and have some suggestions for us, please leave them in the comments.