10/13/2026
So . . . one of the reasons why Mercy recently had an MRI of her brain is because she has lost 20 pounds in about a 6-month time frame. In fact, she has stopped menstruating altogether; it’s like her body has gone into survival mode to save the little bit of energy and nutrients that’s left. We believe this weight loss is due to the fact that she has been having major eating anxiety which has resulted in each small meal lasting up to 6 hours to finish—yes, you read that right, up to 6 hours to finish one small meal! Mercy's eating problem doesn’t seem to be getting any better despite all the tips and tricks we’ve tried from family, friends, and even doctors at this point.
Today, Mercy saw a feeding therapist who was referred to us by her primary doctor! The specialist watched Mercy as she ate and struggled with every bite of food. After a thorough evaluation and assessment, the feeding therapist has concluded that Mercy may have an actual swallowing problem (a medical issue and not a mental OCD issue like we originally thought). So, she ordered a MBS test to be done at the hospital:
A modified barium swallow study (also called a video fluoroscopic swallowing exam) is an X-ray test that checks how well you can swallow different liquids and foods and helps doctors plan treatment if needed. It uses barium so your mouth, throat, and upper esophagus show up clearly on the X-ray while a speech-language pathologist and radiology team watch and record what happens.
Please pray with us that we get the answers we need so we can help Mercy eat normally again and gain back the much-needed weight that her body needs to remain healthy!
