Today the dietitian told us that Anara is not getting adequate nutrition by mouth. She has never been super interested in eating and seems pretty indifferent about it right now. We have always struggled to feed her and much to our nutritionist's dismay, have had to be forceful at times. Our goal was always to get her weight up to a level that her doctor was comfortable with for surgery. The suggestion was made to place a gastronomy tube (g-tube, GT, feeding tube) and help supplement her nutrition.
At first I was pretty hesitant, but after consulting several medical professionals and weighing the pros and cons, I am much more accepting of this idea. Nate was pretty open to it from the moment I called him and explained the situation. We both have clear memories of mealtime battles and the pressure of getting enough calories in her. A GT would alleviate the pressure on us to feed her, the pressure on her to eat, and the worry that she is not getting the nutrition that she needs to heal. Anara's doctor wants to ensure the success of her major surgery and good nutrition is one of the primary ways to maximize her recuperation. Her surgeon said that a GT placement would be 1/50th of the procedure that she had a couple weeks ago. With everything that her body has been through and all that we are expecting her to do, it seems the only course of action. There are always risks associated and of course she will have to undergo general anesthesia again, but the benefits seem to outweigh the risks.
The nurse practitioner involved in the conversation said that she has seen miraculous results from GT's. She said that some kids with eating aversions develop appropriate eating habits. The dietitian thinks that once Anara experiences adequate calories and her stomach stretches, she might have more hunger sensation and become a better eater. Obviously we would love to see Anara become a competent eater and perhaps this will bring us one step closer to that goal. In the meantime it will provide the nutrition necessary for her to heal quickly and completely.
Thanks for your continued encouragement and prayers.
5 comments:
Sounds like you guys are making the right choice... and we loved the last set of pictures!
Just wanted you to know I am still praying for you guys, I am so impressed with your strength and optimism through this all. I am so thankful Anara gets to be in your family!
Hey guys! Man, what a lot to deal with. I'm glad that you feel comfortable with things, though. Are they doing a PEG tube (where they do it without opening her) I assume? I saw lots of those as a student, and there really isn't anything to them. I'll email you more.
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Mandy, do not fear the G-tube. They were going to do one for Hunter if he didn't eat more, but then he started eating and they decided not to. She will gain weight and you will see a huge difference. I will continue to pray for her and for you and Nate and Vi. Just know that everything works together for the good of them that love the Lord
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