Flying Food

Figuring out ways to gather the nutrients James needs into a vessel that will then push those nutrients into his tube extension is quite exhausting.  I am starting to feel more adept at creating and administering his meals, but boy when it comes to the syringes we use this is how I feel:

Dear Syringes,

Your ease at loosing any sort of lubricant, making it near impossible to push the already difficult blended liquid into James' g-tube, is near maddening.  Please refrain from your devious ways and work with me.  Otherwise I will be forced to throw you in the trash.

Sincerely,

Me

It can be funny at times.  Yesterday morning I measured James' liquid vitamin in a syringe and proceeded to adjust the measurement.  The lubricant on the stopper decided to work half way through the process and the vitamin ended up all over the ceiling.  That stuff is gross.  It wasn't funny at first but as I finished cleaning the brown goo off the ceiling I did chuckle a bit.  I was forewarned when we started this diet that there would be goop everywhere, including our ceiling.  Until yesterday I had been able to contain the explosions to the lower regions of our kitchen.  It does get difficult to suck the goopey food into the syringe and then work out the air bubbles without food going everywhere.  And pureed chicken does not smell so good all over me.

I realized that I have not put a diagram of James' tube on this blog.  So, in order for you to understand what I am talking about, here you go!

The tube in the picture is type James had for the first three months.  The balloon (small blue circle in the stomach - this is what keeps everything in place and can be inflated/deflated by a small, external port) and tubing are all one piece.  James now has a "button" which is an internal balloon connected to a port on the outside of the stomach.  We attach a tubing extension to this port when it it time to feed.  It has been a blessing now that James is moving around as the tubing doesn't get pulled along with him.

So the basic components are the internal balloon, external port, and extension tubing that attaches to the port.  Then, of course, there are the things we attach to the extension tubing: 1. the tube from his pump which we use for breast milk feeds, 2. catheter tip syringes for his blended feeds.

Hope that clears things up!

With love.

P.S  Today, we finally paid off James' hospital bills from March!!!!  I think we will have a little celebration at our favorite restaurant.  James' loves it because we get to sit outside.  I'll try to get a picture of his cuteness!