Eva’s G-tube

About 2 1/2 months into Eva having the NG tube, Rich and I realized that it was doing more bad than good. We felt like it was contributing to her vomiting which was the reason for her oral aversion. She had gone from loving the pacifier to crying and vomiting every time I offered it to her. It was traumatic for her every time I had to replace the NG after she pulled it out. There just seemed to be too many things that just weren’t working in her favor as far as the NG went. We decided that it was time to get rid of it and instead get a g-tube. I felt really good about the decision because we had done everything and given her every opportunity to feed without getting the g-tube. It was just time to move forward.

We went in for a consultation and scheduled the g-tube surgery for Friday November 8th. The night before I gave her a good scrub down since I knew it was going to be a while before she got another.

I was so ready to do away with that darn tube in her nose. It had become such a stress. This is Eva on her way to the hospital the morning of the surgery.

Checked in and waiting in the waiting room.

 

Dressed and ready for surgery.

I just handed her off to the anesthesiologist and he walked her back to the OR. I didn’t see her again until she was awake and crying in the Pediatric ICU (PICU).

She had been out of surgery for about 30 minutes when we were finally allowed back to see her. They had been trying to get her to settle down the entire time and were unsuccessful. They decided that they would go ahead and allow me to hold her even though her surgery was fresh. She needed my comfort.

She immediately calmed down and fell asleep.

A little over an hour later, she woke up and started to cry. She was getting help with her breathing by a ventilator. The pressure of the ventilator was forcing air past her trach and I was able to hear her cry for the very first time. While it was uncomfortable for her and she hated it, I enjoyed the sound of her sweet little cry.

Until I get to hear her voice again, I love and cherish this video.

She only spent one night and day in the PICU. Our room and the couch I slept on. Not too bad!

She was doing so well by the next day and she was off the ventilator and only on tylenol for pain management. They decided that she was doing well enough to leave the PICU and transferred us to the infant unit where we spent one more night and then were released the next afternoon.

Eva’s g-tube stoma can’t be submerged for 8 weeks so until then we will do sponge baths!

Having the g-tube has been AMAZING! She has began to thrive. As of today she has only thrown up 2-3 times in the past 2 weeks which is incredible considering she was throwing up 3-4 times a day! She is trying really hard to overcome her oral aversion all by herself. Her hands are always in her mouth and slowly but surely they are going a little further back.

So proud of her and her and how strong and resilient she is. Baby girl is powering through her obstacles and I’m so grateful to be able to love on her while she does so.