Water Hazard

So one of the things the Doctors have always asked is if my dad has problems swallowing. He never really has, until now. I always thought he would have trouble with his food first. Some of the starchier foods such as breads, rice, and potatoes would be harder for him to swallow, as the muscles would not respond as his brain intended. I was wrong. When stroke patients start to have troubles swallowing the first thing they start to choke on is water. That's right, water. The clearest, easiest substance we drink. The substance we must drink in order to go on living. I mean sure you can get water from other liquids, but when it comes down to it your body still needs water to survive. We had slowly noticed that he no longer drank his water with his meals and would only take a sip or two at the end. Then we started to hear the choking noises as he was drinking the water. We have a temporary solution in that of a straw. This makes him take smaller amounts of water into his mouth at a time, giving his brain time to adjust to the idea of swallowing and then he is able to swallow the smaller amounts better. However, it is only a matter of time before we have to start supplementing his water with a mixed liquid that is thicker so that he can drink it while still getting the benefits.