This is Life Deal With It

Who doesn't like getting new stuff.  Me too - usually.  The new piece of equipment that arrived yesterday - a suctioning machine - not so thrilled.  We put it off for as long as possible and will use it, for Shannie, only - only when ab-so-lute-ly necessary.  That being said, it'll be a good piece of equipment and really help her out and that's all the detail I'm gonna say because - gross.

Years ago one of the girls we provided foster care for had a tracheotomy.  Of all the medical issues we deal with ones involving the "M" word - mucus - are the most difficult for me.  I have a strong gag reflex sometimes just thinking about it.  Handling that trach was quite the challenge for me.  Christian's trach, thankfully, was removed long before he arrived here.  Shannie just needs a little help when she has a serious coughing spell - that's manageable.

I was determined from a very young age to be a nurse, or maybe even a doctor until.  One day when I was a Candy Striper in my cute pink and white striped jumper - those were the days - I had to hold the plastic dish for a guy coughing and spitting.  I just about lost it there and then.  I walked out of that room and thought - nope - not for me.  I laugh about it now thinking about all the medically gross stuff we've dealt with since I was fourteen - if I'd had any idea I might have pushed through and gotten a medical degree from a reputable institution, but no, just the college of - This is Life Deal With It  - for me.

Once we had Shannie in a local hospital for pneumonia and she needed to be fed.  Mark gets the G-tube out and the nurse's eyes bugged out.  From her reaction it appeared she'd never actually used a G-tube.  This didn't really provide the confidence in that particular hospital's ability to handle our girl and we were ever so grateful when they transferred her to the hospital where we were generally admitted.   I think they were happy to see us go as well.  This is just about as much nursing as I want to handle.  With every new piece of equipment or medical issue I learn and adjust - sometimes not very cooperatively, but what must be done must be done.

One last thing - for some reason they didn't send the tip attachment that would actually go into her mouth, so online we went looking for one.  A package of 5 - $1.06 each - great deal.  Put it in my basket - the total was $139. 04!  Whaaaaaaat?  Yup that was shipping and handling - are you kidding me?  We tried to circumvent the whole rigamarole of a doctor's order etc. etc. and just paid for the machine ourselves - $147 total, by the way.  Now Mark will have to spend a morning on the phone getting a doctor's order for our medical supply company so we can get the little attachment.  Is it any wonder people dealing with medical issues are overwhelmed, not to mention broke?  But, as I said, this is life - so deal with it we will.

A wierd night

It was my turn at 4AM last night. First I got confused about which meds she was suppose to have and started squirting one kind of med into another kind's bottle. I caught myself before I mixed 1 ml. into the wrong bottle. So, then I went in to give her the formula and meds and could not get the g-tube to flow. Once in awhile a little chunk of pill might get stuck so I used just a water syringe to try to push it through, but no luck.

I had to wake Mark up and see if I just wasn't strong enough, but no it was totally stuck. Next step is to take out the fluid in the balloon which anchors the g-tube into her body. It came out like pink med mixed with formula - wierd. So, he did it again - same deal. Shoot, for some reason it was pulling her stomach contents out rather then just the clear water that is suppose to be in there. I pulled on the G-tube and it came right out. We only have one spare, which we used, so hopefully it won't do anything crazy till they can deliver a new one next week. There is a picture of the kit with the new g-tube and one of inserting the new one.

Incredibly in the 11 years she's had a G-tube we've never had this problem. Why this week of all weeks and the middle of the night of all times? I got nothing - no really, I've got nothing.

Our grandson and his daddy came over to run the back yard - heat and all. I plan to enjoy his amazing energy and perhaps can gain some just by watching him. OK, probably not, but it will bring a smile and that's always good for the soul.