It’s been a month since my last blog update about Thomas and a lot has happened!
Thomas had his first surgery on the 2nd of September. We received the call less than 2 weeks prior and I made a post on Facebook the day before we went in for the Gastrostomy surgery. I thought that maybe it might be cancelled or something. I think I needed that time to get my head around it. I had been waiting for 7 months for that call and I finally got it. I felt nervous, and a little worried because it was actually going to happen. I knew it was the right thing for Thomas but I still felt horrible that he would be scared, confused and in pain.
We had both decided against getting the Nissen Fundoplication procedure as it was never originally recommended by his Pediatrician and his reflux was mangaged well by his medication. He does not have problems with gagging or retching either. The surgeon recommended not to proceed if there were doubts and if the medicine was helping. It is a procedure that can happen later on if we feel he needs it.
http://www.feedingtubeawareness.com/different-types-of-feeding-tubes.html
In recovery room, just out of surgery.
The surgery went really well. Thomas was discharged the next day in the afternoon. Usually it is about a 3 day stay but Thomas was back to his chirpy self the next day and I had fed him through the G tube and picked it up straight away. Thomas does not cope well when out of routine or his own environment so returning home so early was a great relief. We were so happy to have my mother come to stay for a week to help out. I was really expecting Thomas to have more pronounced dystonic episodes due to the pain but he only had issues following the surgery and that first night. After that, I managed his pain relief and slowly tapered it off.
Mr Chirpy.
Thomas has not been back at therapy yet but he is able to sit in his pram, feeding chair and playing in the sensory room or in bed. We have definitely noticed that he seems a lot happier in general. He is dribbling less too. He is eating the same volume of food topped up through the G tube and maybe a little bit more orally. Thomas has regressed a little with his oral feeding of chunkier foods. He seems to cope fine with soft little bits of pasta or rice but not peas, carrots or corn. These he will sometimes struggle with or will eat less due to tiredness from chewing.
We do not need to check the positioning of the tube like we used to with the NG so that saves time. The site needs to be changed and cleaned everyday. We can still give him his medicines through the tube. The tricky part we are finding is keeping his hands away from the area. Thomas’s range of movement is limited and often repetitive. It is not always controlled either. He has a very strong grip due to his increased muscle tone so we have to keep a watchful eye on his arms and hands. The Safe T Sleep wrap has been an absolute treasure. While he plays in the sensory room he has a smaller blanket around the area. I have recently purchased some G Tube pads from TubieLove. We’re not using them yet while he heals. They are super adorable.
It has been a big relief for us all I feel. I can see that Thomas is not as uncomfortable. He seems free. I really think the NG caused him a bit of grief. The plasters were really damaging his cheeks. It has made feeding a bit easier. My big focus now is to get the G Tube healed!
Funny boy!
Minding Thomas 