Sticking A Tube In Him

They stick the tube in his stomach, and almost immediately he throws up. And he throws up a LOT. Even the nurses commented on how they could not believe there was so much in that tiny body. I was no longer allowed to give him any food or drink by mouth.

That night he is SCREAMING. ALL NIGHT LONG. And I can do nothing about it. Is he hungry? Is he not getting enough in the tube? Is the Elecare harming his body and I don't know it. He made that face the doctor made when he showed me the rumination face. And he made it all night long. Was he trying to ruminate and there was nothing there to come up?

(UPDATE: the specialist said that if he had rumination syndrome that he would have been able to bring up and chew on the acid in the stomach or even from the gut!!)

Next morning Dr. House-like comes in smiling. The throwing up of the contents in his stomach and it being SO MUCH confirms the rumination diagnosis. He is keeping everything in his stomach and just ruminating on it all day.

So they move the tube into his gut. This was a horrific thing for him (and me). The allergy results are finally in and given to EVERYONE. :)

JJ becomes a case study. He quickly becomes known as "the rumination baby." I can feel the cold stares as everyone knows that the child ruminates because of the horrible relationship between mother and child. All the students come in to gawk at him. And oh, the "lucky" student who is assigned JJ for the day.

DAYS go by, and I keep asking when can I feed him? When can we get him off the tube?

WEEKS go by and I am finally allowed to give him a small amount of food and drink. He does well. Every day, I am allowed to give him a little bit more by mouth and the drip into his gut is reduced more and more until it is only at night. And then that is reduced slowly as well.

I become an expert in resetting the machine, and knowing when a new bag is needed. I end up the nurse for my son.