G-tube

Tommy's g-tube fell out today while he was playing with Liam.

I was at work, and our sweet babysitter called to say she found his mickey tube on the floor.  Oops.  By the time I got home, a 30 min drive,  I tried to put it back in, but within a short time the stoma had already started to close. 

Now if you remember, last time this happened it was a weekend and our local ER couldn't really help us and we ended up driving to Seattle Children's to have it reinserted.

So I hesitantly called our pediatrician for advice, thinking it's a weekday and things might be better for local services.  They had us go to the hospital admitting and then to the pediatric floor to meet our prior pediatrician who is now a hospitalist.  We adore him.  Tommy absolutely loves that man.  And the feeling is mutual I think. 

So when we get to the pediatric floor, of course all the nurses have to catch up on "all things Tommy" since they haven't seen us inpatient in well over a year now.  That was at 2pm.  We were told the dr had been paged and he already knew we were coming to meet him because our pediatrician called him for this service.  We waited for the doc.  And then it was 3pm.  We were still waiting for the doc.   And then it was 4pm.  We still...were...waiting...for..the... doc.

And the room we were in started getting small.  Tommy was tired of me. 

And Tommy and I smelled liked vomit.  Because when your g-tube comes out and your mom can't get the new one in.... she puts a red catheter in the stoma.  Which leaks.  It leaks stomach "stuff" out.  And oh my goodness does it stink.  To hold the red catheter in place while driving to the hospital, mom has wrapped a towel around your body and then packaging tape around the towel.  Because the stomach "stuff" has made it difficult to tape the catheter to your body.  And you stink.  And your mom stinks.  In fact she dry-heaved a few times.  Which is about the ugliest thing a human being can do. 

So it's 4pm.  And it's been two hours waiting for the doctor. So I decide to take Tommy for a walk because he has decided in his boredom that his towel and packaging tape should come out.  They should be ripped off.  Now.  And his toes, feet, hands all got involved in that effort with great immediacy. 

On the walk I look down at my flip flop feet with newly painted pink toes to see stomach "stuff" all over my toes.  Not much I can do about that at this point.  But dry-heave again.

So we walk and look at the koi fish in the pond.  And we walk thru a parking lot to get some fresh air.  And then another and another.

I cruised thru the cafeteria on our way back to the pedatric unit and bought Tommy his favorite tapioca dessert as a "prize" for after he got his g-tube reinserted.

And now we are at the THREE hour wait.  And then the nurse came to find us and the doctor had arrived.  It's not much fun for Tommy waiting three hours looking like a sumo wrestler with a towel around your stomach, smelling like a bum and being wrapped in packaging tape is just really odd.

Of course two nurses helped plus the doctor and two lpn's asked if they could watch and learn. Right about the time I'm telling the doc that I've tried the new gtube and there are no holes in it and it takes 5 cc water.... his pager goes off.  With a c-section possibility.  I have to admit, for one second I thought in my head, oh please just help my son first then go to the c-section.  I knew Tommy's would be quick.... and then he said the c-section was a few minutes off so he could help Tommy first.  I feel really bad for thinking those thoughts now. 

The procedure took all of 5 minutes as the red catheter had stretched the stoma enough for the g-tube to be slipped back in.

Tommy high fived the doc and the nurses and we took our stinky selves home.  Right after he ate his tapioca in front of them.  He had waited way too long not to eat that prize!

So, tomorrow we had a prescheduled meeting with our nutritionist and will definately work on the g-tube weaning plan we started a few months ago.  Tommy is ready.  And so am I :)