Sam has a new G-tube, and so far everything is going well. Just have some quick questions for you guys who have been dealing with this longer than me.

When switched over to the "button" was it uncomfortable for your child??? My surgeon said he can do it in the office 1 month post op.

Have you always used a pump, or once they tolerate the feeds do you ever let it run in by gravity ??

Well, I really think it is more scary than anything when the button is changed out. I think what they feel is pressure and maybe some mild discomfort. However, I have always insisted with Noah that they give him a little Verced before changing it out. I just think he's been through enough so I hate adding to it. On the other hand I myself have pulled Noah's G/J Tube out myself at home and switched it to a Mickey Button and he barley made a peep. So, I guess it's 50/50 whether it hurts or not. As for feeds, I think all of the kids are different and have days when they will handle a bolus feed just fine and other days when the pump will do better. Noah goes back and forth but, really tolerates the slower fedds better then the bolus. Okay, so I guess none of that was very helpful. Sorry, just my 2cents worth...

Daniel just got his button yesterday, and it was the easiest thing in the world. But he got a Genie button, and I hadn't heard of that one before. The GI just clamped the long tube close to D's stomach, cut it off, and popped the Genie on the end. It'll need to be changed every three months and we'll go back to the GI so he can do it, but he said it'll be just as simple -- the appointment is really just so he can check on how we're doing.

Honestly, this was the simplest appointment we'd ever had. D's only complaint was when we made him wear his hospital bracelet -- and then nobody bothered to look at it.

OK, now the pump. I HATE the pump. I HATE the flow errors and the fact that it goes so slow. We pump feed D while he sits at the table and puts food in his mouth, chews, and spits it out. However, he sits there no more than 15 minutes before telling us he's "all done" and the pump takes another 20 minutes, so we plop him in front of cartoons so he's not running around dragging the pump. We only started using the pump all the time after speaking with a feeding specialist last week, and, I must admit, D has not puked once since then.

Becky,
Don't you guys have the entralite pump ?? The one that goes in the little backpack ? On Noah's we can run even continuous feeds with the setting on his pump.