Friday, January 18, 2008

Fix-it Friday!

Oh boy I am soooo excited! The links are coming in and EVERYONE is doing such a wonderful job. This is exactly what I was thinking I would totally love to read. Here ya go! (Don't worry, I will update as comments are added. Links posted in the order they were submitted.)

Katie from the View From the Hill has a link to some wooly goodness and you know I love me some wooly stuff of all kinds!

Eliza's Mom has an amazing easy recipe and the cutest assistant ever. Sorry, cute assistant not included, even if you make her recipe.

If you are anything like me Gawdess' post will amaze and inspire you!


Klynn from Southern Mediocrity left us a handy dandy tip in the comments that is anything but mediocre. It would have never occured to me to use my kitchen utensil for that purpose, but I will be from now on!


And ta da! Jo's Fix-it Friday Post!

How to Tube Feed Your Kid



Tired of trying to beg your kid to eat? Sick of coaxing, cajoling and begging the little critter to please, please just take one more bite? Exhausted from trying to balance your precious child's nutrients? Well you too can just feed your kid EXACTLY what they need, and how much they need without them making any fuss or having any say so what so ever! The controlling mother's dream come true!!!
First, get the GI doctor to install a handy dandy tubie straight into your child's stomach. This is a PEG tube.

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Don't forget to wash your hands! (with all the hand washing, my hands are in need of come good lotion!)
Now take your Kangaroo Joey pump bag set

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(the bag has the long tubing already installed, so no need to spike a bag or anything) and pour the warmed formula in the top of the bag, removing as much air as possible.

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Next, thread the tubing through the top of the pump. They even have a diagram of how to do it. It is easier than threading your sewing machine, honest! You will have to stretch the tubing to get it all the way around the sprocket. Don't be afraid, it is way stretchier than you think.

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Push the power button on the pump
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and after it starts, you will want to push this button, the Priming one. (Isn't it cute? The company calls the buttons ATM style!)

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Pushing the prime button will get the formula moving along the tube, like this:

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When it gets to the end, like this, you are ready to plug it in your kid.

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(that end? It is called a Christmas tree, if you are curious, it fits many different sizes of tubing)

This is the end coming from your child, just pop the cap off:

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You will need to flush the tube with 10-15 cc's of water before you start the feed. It looks like this:

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Now, plug the red christmas tree into the blue extension

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Start the pump. Make sure your kid is either well entertained or supervised. The Pea was entertaining the boy this morning, as you can see, he enjoyed it!

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Add one curious and cute Pea:

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After the pump beeps and says the feeding is done, flush again:

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A half hour later, it is time to vent. Take a giant 60cc syringe and take out the plunger. Attach it to the end, and if you are lucky, the equipment will make a loud burping sound, causing all children in the vicinity to burst into uproarious laughter!

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There ya go! One fed and hydrated child. In spite of my tongue in cheek attitude, we have much hope that our boy will get what he needs and grow, grow, grow!

10 Kids Who Want To Play:

Gawdess said...

Fantastic how to's and adding my wish to the boy growing and growing.

bon said...

We are back here again? It IS funny how much these things kinda suck... but then again, you know that they are getting enough to thrive.

Still, I guess I've been gone for a while, didn't know we were back here again.

Mongoose said...

About hand lotion, I use Burt's Bees hand salve at work. I'm out in the cold working with petroleum product, then I wash them with the mechanics' hand wash, but with the salve, they're still smooth.

Thanks for the expose. :)

K J and the kids said...

That is my ANSWER !! No more hiding food. Why don't you write a best seller. Shoot....Jerry Seinfelds wife can do it..so can you !
PLUS....it takes a lot less time to do that than to bake and prepare an ENTIRE meal. OH AND...clean up is TONS less. The dog would suffer at our house...but that's ok.
Sign me up.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, Jo, his face is SKELETAL. It must be such a relief to be able to pour those calories in--didn't I TELL you it was satisfying? Also wait'll the next time he doesn't want to take his meds. Don't like the smell of that one? MEET MY LITTLE FRIEND MR. TEN-CC SYRINGE FULL OF SPOON-ON-SPOON-CRUSHED PILLY GOODNESS! With plenty of flush, of course. Prevacid envelopes should NEVER be given this way. Solutabs TELL you not to, but you totally can on those--the beads are smaller. So I dunno if that FIXED anything, but if he's on that stuff ask for the solutabs if compliance is an issue. Eliza's Friday Factoid?

ks said...

my daughter was daignosed with FTT and we ended up with a G-tube, eventually went with a Bard button. It was my bestest friend FOREVER!!! Because then we didn't have to stress about her growth and hydration... and it also took the stress off her for eating, so it wasn't a constant fight with her to get stuff in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. No tears, too. There's a silver lining for ya.

Yondalla said...

Fascinating! I will try to write a post for next week, by next week.

And I am so glad the boy is getting the nutrition he needs!

elizasmom said...

Yes, yes, grow little man, grow! Thank you for showing me that. I've never dealt with a feeding tube, so I appreciate the education.

And I enjoyed everyone's else contributions. Gawdess, your photo is STUNNING!

Anonymous said...

This is an uplifting read, in an unusual way, at a time when I need some uplifting. I hope Little Man thrives and grows.

Right now, I feel like all I know how to do is be sick and sad. I will try to come up with something else I know for next Friday.

Corinn said...

Ah, medical technology with a cutesy touch... XD Here's hoping it works better than you ever dared hope--and after this he never has one again!

Also, very informative. ;-) As a writer, I love these kinds of posts! (Now if only I could figure out what feeding tubes will probably look like in fifty years...)