"I'd like a Happy Meal"

It's no secret that Dan lost 35# after his accident. His "food" currently consists of 600 calories of Isosource drink 4 times a day through his stomach tube, Reliv nutrition drinks, muscle building protein drink and health juices. Nutrition yes, but none of this is as good as eating food through your mouth. We have been on a quest to get Dan to eat food, any food by mouth.

Another related problem of his weight loss and lack of food by mouth is that his skin has thinned, and after only a few hours lying on any one spot he develops a "pressure sores" and raw skin abrasions.

You remember the half way successful cookie test at the hospital, "nothing thicker than a milkshake". One of his speech goals [which also includes eating] has been taste testing micro size portions of various soft foods, like yogurt, apple sauce, peanut butter, jelly's, ice cream etc. The speech therapists have felt for a few weeks that everything in the throat and his swallowing functions were working okay. Most of these things just don't taste right, and it is a discomfort for Dan to swallow while on and ventilator with his cuff down.

So there was a discussion with Dan recently with an "unnamed staffer" in the room who said "Dan you just need to eat some hamburgers and french fries and shakes and anything to get some meat on your bones. That is when Dan said "I'd like a Happy Meal" * [We knew that 2 years of Mike & Dan working at McDonald's would eventually pay off.]

Well, another "unnamed family member" flew out the door to our local micky d's and returned in mere moments with a cheese burger happy meal. An "unnamed family member" held that delicious golden burger in their hands and lifted it to Dan's waiting, may I say drooling mouth, and away he ate. Bite, chew, swallow... bite, chew, swallow...and again... and more...then french fries, then pop. AND all the time a certain "unnamed family member" kept saying "Chew your food well, keep chewing, don't choke". Of course he did just fine.

Of course all of us were ecstatic with joy. Dan can eat real food again !!!

The same thing happened again after seeing a KFC commercial on TV for a juicy chicken sandwich. He said he'd like like one. Well where do you find ANY chicken sandwich at 11:30 pm? So off I go... I mean an "unnamed family member" drove over to the 24 hour Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's and returned with a deluxe crispy chicken sandwich [mayo & bacon = more calories]

Now you ask whats with all this "unnamed" people? Well technically, medically, "don't tell the doctors & lawyers" Dan was still on a liquid only diet, the test said he couldn't swallow food.

We did let the doctors know at the next medical family meeting about his Happy Meal experience and now.....

....he is officially on a regular foods.

His full appetite is not back, he has had stomach aches recently, but this eating thing is just another small step in the right direction. Thank you AGAIN for your prayers.