What are the ABC's of the g-tube?

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Well, next Friday Connor gets the g-tube. Today it just dawned on

me that I have a lot of specific questions that I hope you all will

respond to in the next few days. I have to admit that in the past I

always skipped the posts that dealt with g-tubes, pyroplasty surgery

and the nissen fundoplication. Connor was an " eater " and we didn't

have to learn that. Well, now, I have to play catch up.

So, in the Spirit of Letterman (Drum Roll Please!!!), Here are

my Top 10 Questions on how to rearrange your family's life around a

g-tube fed child.

1. Connor is a belly sleeper. Will he have to change this for the g-

tube to work properly? Will I have to manipulate his crib in any way

to assist the feed?

2. How long does it usually take for the surgery site to heal?

3. How do you handle infection at the site.

4. How do you handle tissue granulation at the site?

5. Is it Prevacid or Prilosec that you can get in a liquid form that

can be injected into the tube?

6. If the slow feeds overnight cause a lot of vomiting, would that

indicate that Connor needs a Pyroplasty or the NF procedure?

7. How will the feeds affect his oral feeding? We worked for 2 1/2

long years to get Connor's mouth desensitized and get him to

lateralize and chew his food. Even though the malocclusion of his

jaw is prohibiting full digestion of his food, AT LEAST WE CAN GET

IT IN HIM! Is he going to lose this function due to a lack of

hunger?

8. When do you get to take the tube out? What medical criteria

determines that your child is thriving enough without it?

9. What do I tell my son? He's two and a half and very self aware.

In a few days he's going through a surgery that's going to change

his life for the better (we hope). What do I tell him?

10. As many of you know, Connor lives life at full throtle! He's

all " boy. " I remember a post from Judith about her son popping out

the tube while playing at leaping lizards. Besides not sliding on

your belly, what other things should Connor be careful of. (I.E.

The playgroud, wrestling with Daddy and brothers, karate,

gymnastics, etc, etc, etc.) I don't want to put my son in a bubble,

but I know that I don't want to deal with a popped out g-tube

either. You know the ole' saying, " An ounce of prevention... "

So, that's all for now. I'm sure as I obsess about this for the

rest of the day, I'll probably come up with at least another twenty

questions. I would like to thank Maloy in Norfolk and Alison in

andria for helping me thus far. Your calmness has been greatly

appreciated (grin).

Hugs to All!

Mom to Graham 8 ADD; Cameron 5; Connor 2 IUGR RSS Kyphosis,

Asymmetry, Periactin, Prevacid, Zantac Nutropin in two weeks; g-tube

in 6 days.