Appointment with the G-Tube Surgeon

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Today we had an appointment with the surgeon who is doing Nathan's G-Tube surgery.   Now, let me back up a minute.  We got a call awhile back from Dr. C ...  and he told us that the G-Tube Surgeon didn't want to even DO the surgery on Nathan until he has some NG Tube time.

I was like, um... no.........

We've been there - done that .... not going back.   He came home on the NG Tube and it was not an easy process.  I realize he understands *more* now and may not do the following... however........ he learned how to pull that thing out at a month old and that if he kept pulling it out ....   it was just ... not fun.

We are trying to make this whole process a POSITIVE thing.  The surgery, I realize, is not going to be positive.  But any parent who has dealt with an NG tube knows how uncomfortable, and traumatizing it can be.  Nathan is a very sensitive creature.  If we can keep a positive spin on this, the more likely this will work.  The surgery won't be fun but I won't have to shove a tube down his nose/throat every day or couple days.

Anyway ..... so we went there prepared to stand our ground....   We got there early and the kids were horsing around.......

I didn't read a page.....

 So he comes in ..... and sure enough, he starts talking NG Tube, and we told him we weren't going to do that.  Explained all of our reasons, including the one where we feel it will traumatize him and make this whole thing a failure...

So he tells us that he'll do the surgery, but he feels that Nathan shouldn't use the tube for two weeks because he doesn't think he should work on recovery and have to "figure out" how to feed him too.  

We'll talk to Dr. C about it ... or the nutritionist.  I realize that that's his position on the fact, but I'm going to wait and see how Nathan is doing and then bring it up with someone other than him because he won't be handling that part anyway.

This is the feeding tube.....  the part under my fingers will go inside him, the balloon is what will hold it in place.  The part above my fingers is what will be outside - that we'll use to feed him.

Right now we're going to focus on night feeding and go from there.   Also be able to give him his "fiber" through there so he doesn't detect it and it might help his poor constipation issues.  

I'm so nervous.  Since making this decision, I know it's the right one.  I have worked really really hard to get this kid to eat though.