08.24.2008 - Tube Trauma

From Julian's COTA Journal

After about 24 hours without his feeding tube (we'd been feeding him his fluids every hour by syringe), the docs indicated that they want Julian's feeding tube back in. Their fear is that without it, he may not be able to sustain the necessary "on-the-high-side" blood pressure required to fully profuse the new kidney. Older/larger transplant kids don't need the tube, but smaller ones need the extra help. Sigh...

So, we put it back in. It took four attempts. Honestly, it feels like we're torturing our son, putting this thing back in. I hold him on my lap and Stacy threads the tube up his nose and down his throat, all while Julian cries, chokes and coughs. That was around 10:30 last night. He had a rough night after that, snoring and coughing on-and-off through the night. This morning, he's in good spirits, although it sounds like his sinuses are gunked up. Poor guy.

But he's happy and energetic, playing and running around, still eating, still no fever. We're hoping the cough subsides - it's non-productive and seems to hurt whenever it happens. When the coughing fit over, he looks at us and tells us "I'm okay."

We're about to go across to the street to the Stanford Shopping Center (aka the "speakers" to Julian), for some ham & cheese & coffee at La Baguette. Please pray that this cough doesn't turn into anything. Still nothing in his lungs - we're pretty sure it's all upper respiratory, but we really don't want it to turn into anything.

David