Last week, Lucy was requiring more oxygen and had more fluid in her lungs, so we’re back in the hospital. She was admitted Wednesday and she is scheduled for surgery for a gastrojejunostomy feeding tube today. Lucy has always had a feeding tube inserted through her nose and into her stomach, since she never learned to swallow or feed orally. Now that she’s bigger, a tube taped to her face is no longer an option. It will also help with her breathing and swallowing, to no longer have a tube down her throat. The GJ-tube will be radiologically inserted through a small incision in the abdomen into the stomach, one port in the stomach and the other threaded into the jejunum. Due to her feeding intolerance, she’s getting the J-Tube as well. Her medicine will be delivered to the stomach via the G-Tube and her feeding will still be continuous into the jejunum. Obviously, not going to fix most of her problems, but we will be able to deliver her medicine more effectively and not worry about how well they are being absorbed.
Lucy will be under anesthesia during surgery, which will require her to be intubated with a breathing tube while she is asleep. We hope that she comes out of sedation quickly and is able to breath on her own immediately after surgery and doesn’t require prolonged breathing assistance.
Finally, we can get the tape off of her face so we can smooch her rosy, fat cheeks. Please keep her in your thoughts today for a smooth, successful surgery.
