Re: I need a pep talk... - Sheryl

July 10, 2004

Hi Sheryl,

You are SO right! We have ALL had days like yours, and they SUCK!! This is

another of those situations that make us appreciate 's g-tube. We

don't have to worry about getting his meds down him, because they all go

through his tube, and he doesn't have to taste anything!

We don't have this advantage with my g-daughter, Aidan, so here's what we do

with her.We ask the pharmacist if refrigerating the med will cause a problem

with how it works, and if not, then we keep it cold. There are some meds

that you cannot refrigerate, but for most of them, it's fine. The cold seems

to help cut the taste.

When giving the med, the first time, we try letting her take it without

holding her down. I've explained to her, that if she can't do that, then I

need to help her, so that she doesn't get hurt fighting about it. (One time

she twisted so hard that the syringe scratched her gums, and she remembers

that it hurt for a couple of days)

Here's what we do. I place her on her back on the floor, and place her head

between the " V " of my legs. I pin her arms down with my thighs, and place my

hand under her chin. I put the syringe in her cheek pocket, all the way past

her back teeth, and slowly squeeze small amounts of the med in. As soon as

we're done, I let her go, praise her, and give her something as a treat for

being so good. Her favorite treat is a popsicle, and this helps get the

taste out of her mouth. The whole thing takes less than 15 seconds, it's a

lot less stressful, and she rarely cries about it anymore.

About the naptime. It sounds like she might be getting " over " tired??

won't sleep at naptime, if I put him in his crib, so he takes his

naps on the couch. I put in a video, or turn on toons, tell him it's

naptime, and let him lay on the couch while I sit at the other end. If he

tries to get up, I lay him back down, and tell him to go nighty-night. The

more we've done this, the better he's gotten about it. It used to take an

hour to an hour and a half to get him to lay down and go to sleep. But with

being consistent, and not allowing him to get up, it now takes him about

15-20 minutes, and he goes to sleep.

Hope this helps!

Pat (g-ma to , RSS, 30 months, 21.4#, 30.6 " , G-Tube)

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