Coburn Kids

Wow, what a ride this whole experience has become. I just got a call from Caden’s Occupational Therapist and I need to schedule some time to go in because I have to learn how to place an NG tube.  What’s this you say?  It’s a nasogastric tube, a feeding tube threaded from the nose to the stomach.  It’s pretty obvious that Caden will not be taking full bottle feedings for a long while. How intimidating is that!! I listened to a debate between Caden’s Nurse and the NNP just 2 weeks ago on whether he could even do an NG tube through the nose versus the mouth because of the difficulty of inserting it with his cleft.  And now I’m going to be doing that?! 

So it’s a freak out moment for Mommy. Yeah.  I thought we might have to deal with just oxygen, tubes, tanks and now we get an extra tube in there. Hmm, is it a little weird for me to think that I’m bringing home a patient versus a little baby? Maybe he’ll be off the oxygen before then.  He’s doing quite well, he’s still on .5 liters at 21-24%. So while he’s having his A&B’s and forgetting to breathe once in a while he’s breathing pretty well on the whole.  We don’t even have to turn up his oxygen when feeding so he’s getting stronger.  He breathes very very fast though, probably because of some lung damage. It becomes very difficult for him to coordinate the suck, swallow and breathing when he’s over 70 breathes a minutes and he’s frequently up near 100.  It’s like running a marathon and then trying to eat dinner while your panting.

Gena is feeling better today as is Adessa.  Good news there, and I can tell they feel well because the fighting has started again. What is with sisters and the fighting and annoying each other?  Everyone asks if it’s Genevieve who starts it, which I guess would be natural because she’s the older sister, but it’s Adessa. Let me tell you though, Adessa can hold her own. I worry more about Adessa hurting Genevieve the the other way around.  She’s a spitfire! 

I can tell Karate is paying off too, whether this is good or bad remains to be seen.  Adessa told us that a little boy hit her at school today. When I asked why she said “because he’s a boy.”  Apparently that’s reason enough. But Gena, when she heard about it, immediately said “you need to block him Adessa like this.” And proceeded to demonstrate one of her blocks she learned in Karate. So between each other and school, I have a pair of fighters in training!