Hi Steve,
Captain Georges is just one of those great places that stay with you. It seemed like the tables of food went on forever. Glad to hear you're going there again.

Jack had the issue you're talking about of not getting enough calories by the food he could eat. So he started drinking cans of formula to keep developing his swallowing ability. It's not bad cold and with syrup. You can also use it as a base to add ice cream and make a high calorie shake. Over time he was able to take in more food at one sitting and then cut back on the cans.

I think continuing to supplement with the formula keeps his calories and weight at the right level. The point is the PEG tube is out and it's still food that he's taking by mouth.

Your family dinner at McDonald's sounds like a blast. It's on to Wendy's next. Here in NJ we are no longer recommending Taco Bell. Today we went out to lunch with friends and Jack had onion rings, fries, an egg cream, and a BIG bacon cheeseburger on a kaiser roll. He was able to eat half in the restuarant, which was probably a normal portion anyway, and finished the rest for dinner. A couple of months ago he would have had to take the top of the roll off the roll so it really does get better.

Hang in there, you have good support from your family and you're getting there. Before you know it that tube will be history and you'll be the one looking back.

Regards JoAnne