The Lighter Side of a G-Tube

"Would you like some ice cream?"

The answer to that question will always be "Yes!" from most kids. But not my tubie kid. I get all the free ice cream from CFA, as she will take one lick and decide she doesn't like it. 

Bonus!

"Here's your sprinkle cookie."

And 2 small bites later, I get the rest of the delicious sprinkle cookie.

Double bonus!

At our weekly lunch outings at Subway, we buy 2 meals. 2 sodas to split, 1 bag of chips for the kids to split and then 3 cookies for the 4 of us to split? Nope. My tubie doesn't eat cookies, so I get to pick out a white chocolate/macadamia nut cookie. It's delicious and I don't feel guilty.

Anymore.

I felt guilty a few months ago: I told her to eat her cookie at said Subway. She scarfed it down on a dare. 

She ended up puking it up. Like from the table all-the-way to the bathroom. Sorry didn't quite cover it. And she felt super embarrassed about it. :(

Now I don't push her, and don't let others push her to eat MORE.

Am I completely happy that she is hooked up to a feeding pump and bag every night?

Well, yes, thank you for asking.

I am now.

She gets most of her calories at night, and we don't have to worry about whether or not she eats enough. She has grown 2 whole sizes in clothing in 3 months, she has "more meat on her bones," and now she looks closer to being the spunky 5-year-old she is.

She also has so much more energy now. She can swim for hours in the pool, trying to touch the bottom and teaching herself to swim. She can walk to and from the ball-fields from the parking lots multiple times a week. She can run around and we're not praying (as much) that she won't fall and get a concussion.

Don't get me wrong...you haven't heard from me until now because tube feeding is tough. I almost threw in the towel when she lost 1/2 lb after a month of feedings! (Oh the anger!)

But we persevered and she put up with us. She (and I mean I) even endured her tube being pulled out while in the middle of a feeding. 

Here's what happened: She was playing outside while wearing her cute Elsa & Anna backpack I sewed into a tubie backpack (Thank you Pinterest!), when someone pulled something out of her hands while playing a game and they accidentally pulled her whole tube out! She freaked. I freaked. To the ER we went. 

Next time, she'll be ok and I'll be a big girl and just put it back in myself.

So yes, it can very much suck.

But at least she is growing and I get to eat all that yummy stuff!