Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The first of many...

No, unfortunately this is not a tale about something wonderful that happened, but it is about what Elias did do...

Daddy was awakened by the sounds of Rusty barking to the light taps on the bedroom door. Looking over at the alarm clock, which read 4:25 am, he realized this could not be good. It was the night nurse bearing the message that Elias' G-tube had come out. They of course can not try and put it back in themselves, so I rushed to Elias bed where the little munchkin was just smiling away. Unfortunately, daddy had to be a bad guy and put the tube back in. Of course on my watch there is difficulty getting it to pass. After fiddling with it for about 10-15 minutes it finally slid in and the balloon inflated. Deep breath, crisis over.....POP! out it came again, but this time it would not go back in. Then Mommy came in to try and save the day, but to no avail the darn thing would just not pass. Collecting our thoughts we knew the Emergency Room was the next option. Off we went for our first of what we are sure will be many ER visits. You know you were in the hospital too long when you go to the ER and you know all the doctors by their first names on the first visit! Needless to say it was a particularly harmless visit that only took up about 5 hours. We both felt better about not being able to get the tube to pass, when several doctors failed too. At least we were not incompetent. The stoma had begun to close already so they started a series of dilations using several smaller catheters, leaving it in, then progressing up to the G-tube size. After that process was over the G-tube passed right in. They gave us some silver nitrate to place around the site twice a week because of all the granulation tissue build-up from the  in and out episodes this week. FYI this is common with G-tubes. It is just especially annoying given all of the other problems we have had with this darn thing. Did we mention how great it was having him home? HEHEHE!!!! Its the little things that would drive normal parents batty that make us happy to have him with us.

And so the adventures go on........

3 comments:

  1. So- Did they give you catheters to keep it open for the next time this happens? Oh yes- there will be a next time. Lori

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  2. Oh no that would be too easy! :D

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  3. You know you're living the cuckoobananas life when you consider yourself "incompetent" when you can't pass a g-tube!

    You guys did awesome. :)

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