Nurse teaching about the G Tube

The surgeon made it seem like the "class" we were supposed to have to learn more about the G tube was super informative.

This is false.

I got to the appointment and a nurse came in and showed me how to check the inflation of the balloon.

The G tube is essentially a button (which is why they are often called buttons) on the outside of the body, that we connect extension tubing to, which then in turn connects to the tubing on the bag where we put the formula and it goes through the pump to feed Cooper, or the extension tubing in attached to a large syringe and we do bolus feeds.

So the button itself is on the outside of the skin, but it has a tubing that goes in to the stomach.

There has to be a blocker there to hold it in.

So think of it as a post earring.

You have the post that goes through the ear, there is a "button" where the design is, then there has to be a back or it will fall out.

That is where the balloon comes in.

Attached to the tubing that goes into the stomach, there is a balloon that is inflated with water to act as the stopper and hold the button in place.

So on the button there is a small port that you stick a small syringe into. You hold the back of the syringe in as you insert it, then let it go and slowly it will fill up on its own. Coopers ballon had about 3.5-4 mL in it so we check weekly to see if it has lost any of the water.

If it has, we have to check it again the next day, and if it lost more we have to have the button replaced.
After the first button change is done by the doctor (Scheduled for March 17th), we can do that on our own, or go in every few months and have the Doctor change it.

We will see how we proceed with that one after I see how it is done. I may just have the Doctor do it.

So anyways, that is all I learned.

She just said to continue washing the area and watch for signs of infection.

So I drove an hour and fifteen minutes one way for essentially nothing.

Oh well.

 :)