Less than a month ago Merv was enjoying his morning cup of tea after breakfast. I was in the bathroom when the heard the gasping sound of choking. I flew down to where he was sitting. He had brought up some of the tea but he could not get his breath. He began to panic. I was talking to him while providing first aid for choking. In desperation he lifted himself up from the chair which allowed him to clear his airway and he sat exhausted back in his chair. Merv had choked on numerous occasions over the last four years but I had not witnessed anything like this.
I am not a speech pathologist (who is trained in eating and drinking issues) but I refused Merv further drinks unless he used a straw. I contacted the speech pathologist and she visited the next day with her stethoscope to listen to Merv's swallowing. She concluded Merv must continue to use a straw in both hot and cold drinks. This wasn't so difficult. When we had lunch out I put a straw in his beer glass and he did not complain. I straddled a straw in his small cup of tea, which looked rather strange but he did not complain.
We hadn't expected her to bring the BBC, but she presented it to us and explained it allows only 10ml of liquid to be released each time the cup is tilted to drink from. It is called a, 'Provale Cup.' It has taken Merv almost a week to get used to it. Due to the limited flow, Merv now has to drink more frequently to ensure he is well hydrated.
It is only a cup, a lot like a takeaway coffee mug with a handle. I imagined Merv's beer in the BBC. I imagined going out for lunch and having to pour his drink into this now alien cup. I couldn't think about it. I got on with pulling the three parts of the cup apart, filling it with water and replacing it later with Milo or tea.
BBC Provale Cup |