Thursday, September 17, 2009

Easy in, Easy Out...not so much

Yesterday morning, we realized Brayden's G-J tube was cracked. His G-J tube is the only way he gets food/fluids. Having a crack in it is not good. We immediately called the doctor. They got him in with the Pediatric Radiologist that works with the G-I doctors.

Brayden's G-J tube has been changed out many, many times. We know the routine. Brayden on the table. Large wire into the tube. Deflate the water balloon that holds the tube in. Old tube slides out with wire as the guide. New tube slides on with the wire as the guide. Water balloon is filled. Tube fixed in place. Done.

This time....as they were pulling out the old tube, the realized the new tube was not the correct length. It was almost 6 inches shorter and that is a big difference. Brayden laid on the table, with a big hole in his stomach, for a bit, while they got the proper tube.

The new tube was put in to place but was having some difficulties, then more difficulties, then more difficulties. His intestine did not want the tube. Once it started to go in, it would shoot back out. And I mean shoot out. The tube would come shooting out of Brayden's stomach on to the table. Or it would coil up into his stomach. Not good.

A 5 minute procedure (if that) was probably 75 minutes and that is only when I started watching the clock.

The radiologist worked and worked to get it to stay in place. He was actually starting to sweat! Several times, he said he did not know what to do and may need to stop. Yikes! I was concerned that Brayden was going to be admitted to the hospital. Things were not going well.

I just prayed over and over, Please get it in, please get it in, please get it in. I do not want him to be in the hospital again.

Finally after a very, very slow placement of the tube, his intestine and stomach were fine and the tube stayed in place. Brayden laid on the table for a bit more for the doctor to watch the tube and make sure it would stay. It did and we were sent home.

That was the most stressful tube change we have ever had.

Amazingly the tube being shoved in and out of Brayden's stomach only upset him a little bit and actually slept the last half hour of it. I, on the other hand, was a bit more upset than him.

6 comments:

Courtney said...

man. you truly never know what a day holds, do you??

the deKorne family said...

My heart literally aches for you having to deal with so much, so FREQUENTLY. I wish you could just have a little break...seems like you have had a lot lately. Praying for you guys, and hoping the Starbucks alone moments can increase.

PotterMama said...

=-/ poor little man. Im glad everything is okay now.

Shannon said...

That sounds like quite an ordeal. I hope B is feeling much better today.

Michelle said...

That sounds awful, poor little boy, I hope that NOTHING else happens for a LONG time, that you would have peaceful times for a while.

Wherever HE Leads We'll Go said...

Oh my! My first thought was "does it ever end? Why is there always something?". I am glad that Brayden handled that all very well. I am sorry that you had to watch. I can imagine how frustrating that was.

My daughter has a g-tube and I am so squeamish about it. The first time it came out (4 days after she came home from the NICU), I completely freaked out. We spent about 9 hours in the ER and the doctors and nurses kept asking me how I was going (not how she was doing since she was sleeping and I was still hysterical - hormones anyone?). I won't go into all the details of what they had to do, but I am glad that my husband was there because I could not watch most of it. Now he is able to change the tube with no problem - thankfully! I guess that wouldn't work with a G-J tube, though.

Praying you have peaceful times ahead.