The Eskelson's: Feeding Tube Hospital Stay

Friday, January 4, 2013

Feeding Tube Hospital Stay

We had to check into the hospital at 8:00 am. We were put back on the pediatric floor. Tyce weighed in at 6 lbs 2 oz so he didn't gain any weight from Monday...... but the whole weight thing was the reason we were there in the first place, right?

Luckily we didn't have to do any blood work which meant to needles this time! All we had to do was get the feeding tube placed. A nurse we had from the NICU came down to place it. Tyce didn't like it at all but once it was in, it didn't bother him at all.

The rest of the day all we did was see Dr. Brown, Dr. Labrum, nurses, a dietitian and an OT. The dietitian put Tyce on a different fortifier since he did NOT do well on the other one. Of course this one was a ton more expensive! Over $40 a box!

The OT made a WORLD of difference in Tyce! It was unreal! Really!!! She took him to show me how to position his head and to pace him and she got 2 oz in him in 10 minutes!!! I couldn't believe it! Neither could the Dr's because they both watched me feed Tyce and watched how much he struggled to get an oz in him! Too bad we didn't see her weeks earlier! We probably would have avoided this hospital stay! So, what we learned, was that we had to turn Tyce's head to his left, my right, and then pace him...which means after every 10 sucks, pull the bottle out so he can finish swallowing and breath. Unbelievable!

So while we were in the hospital, I would feed Tyce how the OT showed me, and then whatever he didn't finish, we fed him through his feeding tube. Most of his feedings he would eat an oz and then we would have to feed the rest through the tube. He did get the full 2 oz through a bottle a few times and he did throw up and do his gagging thing a few times but for the most part, he was doing a ton better! We were scheduled to be released the next day after I learned and felt comfortable feeding Tyce through the feeding tube.

The next day, Thursday, both Dr's came to check on him. They have been so great! The dietitian came back to talk to me about getting the fortifier for Tyce. She told me that it was over $40 a box! WHOA! And she wanted him on it for a month at 2 1/2 - 3 boxes a week! OH BOY! $$$$ She asked if there was any way we could get on WIC. I told her that I was pretty sure we didn't qualify....which was confusing to everyone since Tyce was still on Medicaid....so, I explained the following:

When we moved back to UT, we didn't have a job so the kids and I were able to get on Medicaid. As soon as Dave got a job and insurance, the kids were kicked off but Tyce and I were not kicked off. We were able to stay on! YAHOO!

Well, the dietitian said that because he was on Medicaid, he should qualify for WIC which = free human milk fortifier!

My goal for the day was to try to get WIC figured out (FYI- I hate dealing with WIC) so I gave them a call. I never have an easy time at WIC.....NEVER EVER! The 1st lady I talked to just made me so mad and frustrated. She was NOT understanding what was going on! I finally asked to talk to a dietitian. Once I explained the situation...again, she understood what was going on and made an appointment for me the following Monday! UGH! That meant that I would still have to buy a couple boxes of fortifier to get us through the next week. (WIC had to order the fortifier through Salt Lake so I wouldn't get it until the end of that following week.) I asked the lady if she would call me if anyone canceled that day and I would run right over.

Well, WIC did call me back to tell me they had a cancellation and I could come at 1:15! YAY!

I felt so bad leaving Tyce, but I had to. I ran over to the WIC office and that same lady I was frustrated with before made me frustrated again to the point I started crying. She was telling me that I needed proof of income, 2 forms of ID, blah blah blah...I kept telling her I had just come from the hospital and I didn't have any of that stuff with me. They finally let me use my car registration for ID and I was able to pull my insurance off the internet.

From there everything went up! We were able to get Tyce on WIC. The dietitian came to talk to me and told me that someone was really looking out for me because, #1 They had a cancellation so that I could come in that day and #2 They had one other baby on the fortifier. 30 minutes before I walked in the door, the mom called and said they no longer needed it because her baby was gaining too much weight. That meant that they already had some in stock that I was able to walk out the door with. Again, I cried as she told me the story. I know my Heavenly Father knew exactly what was going on right then in my life and cared enough about me and Tyce that He made things come through. I was so so grateful! The rest of the fortifier was ordered and would be there the following week.

I quickly went back to the hospital and found that the OT was there to see how things were going. She told me that she was pretty sure Tyce had Reflux (the NICU nurses had said the same thing) and that was why Tyce favored his R side when we laid him down. She said that when he lays on his R side, it shuts something off so stuff can't come back up. Interesting! She was SO much help!

Dr. Labrum had released us from the hospital so as soon as I fed Tyce through the tube by myself, we were free to go. I was a little nervous at first but it really wasn't too bad. My main concern was if the tube came out or if it got in the wrong spot. Other than that, it was pretty easy peasy lemon squeezy! :-)

Now it's picture time!