Another CHOP Update

Above is a picture of Alex and her Mic-Key button. As you can see the button itself is small. In the picture she has a tube attached to the button that will be removed in between feeds and locks into place when attached for feeds. She is all bandaged up now and will be for another 6 weeks or so. The dressing will need to be changed when it gets wet on as needed basis. Realistically, when we are home we will need to change the dressing at least every other day due to baths. We have to be very careful over the 6 weeks not to bother the stoma site. After 6 weeks Alex will get a new Mic-Key button which will get inserted by the surgeon in the office. Once that is done Alex will get a new Mic-Key button every 3 months unless there is an issue with the button before the 3 months. Putting the Mic-Key button in and out once the site is healed will be like putting an earring on. Alex is doing well today. She tolerated her night feed, ate all of her breakfast and then tolerated her morning day time feed. She was not interested in eating lunch by mouth and the few bites she did take she threw up...Alex is due for her afternoon tube feed in 10 minutes. As she is getting the day time feeds today the amount of time they are fed over is slowly weaned down. The morning feed was give over 45 min instead of an hour. The afternoon and evening feeds will be given over a 30 min period. If she tolerates that and the continuous overnight feed we may be going home tomorrow! Before we leave I want to do some hands on care with Alexandria's Mic-Key button so that I feel comfortable doing it at home on my own. I left the hospital for the first time since we came here on Tuesday morning today to walk across the street for some breakfast - short lived (I bought it and came back to the hospital room for Steve and I to eat) but nice to see the outside world! Thank again for praying.