#honestly getting all his feeds through a g-tube is not an issue compared to this

[eats-the-stars]

got some hard news today. turns out my 4yo nephew is going to have to get daily growth hormone shots after all. they were going to wait until he was older and could understand what was happening better because last time we trialed the shots he did not have a great time and we stopped after one week. but the results from his last blood test show that he’s no longer producing enough growth hormone to like, break down sugars and essential living stuff so...now he NEEDS the shots, not just to maybe catch up to his peers growth-wise, but to just...not die. so...we’re all a little stressed, and my sister is trying to fight with insurance to get the once-weekly shot instead of the daily shot, because he is FOUR YEARS OLD, and we already know that daily shots are going to be a source of anxiety and fear for him. last time, he got to the point that he was scared to get diaper or pants changes (we have to pull down his pants to inject him in the butt since that is the area with most cushioning, second option is...the stomach, so...no good choices here). so, yeah, not looking forward to this. especially since “how long does he have to get these shots?” might just be...forever. hoping with all i’ve got that we can work out some kind of routine or method to make this easier on him.

[bitchapalooza]

Latvia g-tube/button headcanons!

**Just a warning here, this does go pretty in depth with the experience(excluding the bad and very scary stuff I went through). Talking about the medical side of it, which does get a little gritty in detail(in my opinion). If you are easily squeamish, I recommend not reading any further.

Also, I do have some trauma regarding this part of my life, so please be kind about this. I know thats silly to ask but this is essentially my way to finally cope and come to terms with an issue I had frequent panic attacks over just thinking about. This honestly was a little hard to write out, very anxiety inducing. So please, no rude comments, thank you.**

• He was diagnosed with the medical condition Failure to Thrive. He's very underweight and malnutritioned. To help combat it, doctors suggested a gastronomy tube. He reluctantly agreed to it as he was tired of being underweight and often sick because of it. He knew the issue was totally seperate from being a nation so the thought of medical professionals fixing it was a great idea.

• The first several months after the g-tube was put in were really hard for Latvia. He feared he'd pull the tube out in the middle of the night from tossing and turning or something else would go wrong. His anxieties were cleared, however, after consistantly good nights.

• His Kangaroo Pump was easy to figure out on his own. He might have zoned out when the doctor was explaining everything. Well anyway, it wasn't that hard. Fill the feeding bag up with one bottle of formula, turn on the machine and there you have it. The pump takes care of the rest! Well he had to press the right buttons, but still.

• He only pumped at night while he slept, but during the day he ate by mouth. The g-tube was to provide extra nutrition on top of what he ate for his body to grow, gain more weight, and be healthy.

• When off on business trips, especially extended ones, Latvia would bolus feed after each meal with the kind assistance from Lithuania or Ukraine. Sometimes Cuba would help too since he does have extensive medical knowledge and a bit of experience with gastronomy tubes(although, this was with a pediactric patient).

• Bolus feeding is basically pouring the formula into a suringe thats hooked up into the feeding tube(then hooked to the g-tube). Then gravity takes care of the rest! Its a totally different sensation compared to the pump in Latvia's opinion.

• The pump would consistently pump the formula into him, but bolus feeding was very slow depending on how high or low it was held and it often had bubbles appear since there was a opening on top, which did not feel great in his stomach. Bolus feeding caused more stomachaches than pump feeding did so if he happened to go back into meetings after a meal, he'd lay his head down hunched over and try his best to take notes. Germany or whoever else was in charge/presenting understood this and never minded one bit.

• The drainage around the g-tube site was, uh, messy to say the least. He couldn't wear expensive or fancy clothes without having to wear a washable cloth cover or a cut piece of gauze to catch the mess. It was really uncomfortable to put on. He had to raise the button up and put it around the base sticking out of his body. As the tube is connected directly to his stomach, it caused a lot discomfort when moving it around.

• Speaking of moving it around, sometimes nearing when the button had to be replaced, it'd become just loose enough for the whole thing to turn around easily(the balloon would deflate just slightly). Not a fun sensation.

• Replacing the tube was even more unbearable for a while. He couldn't feel it when they deflated the balloon inside, but he could certainly feel it when they took out the button. Inserting the tube was a little less uncomfortable, at least no cold air was touching the hole or air getting trapped inside. Inflating the balloon again was a little uncomfortable, though. After some time, however, he got used to it.

• Latvia did really good taking care of himself and his g-tube. The drainage did get out of hand, which was normal, but it was easy to wash out. Feedings and staying on schedual was easy too.

• Now without his g-tube, he's left with a deep scar that will never heal. Sometimes it hurts around the rim of it and he is at risk of hernias so he has to watch the scale of the pain and feel around the scar tissue for anything off, but other than that, its all fine and dandy.

• To make himself laugh rather than dred the unsightly scar, he calls it his bullet wound or second belly button! He gets a laugh out of his friends.

• The experience was nerve racking at times and scary, but he did gain weight. Even grew a few centimeters taller! His immune system improved too!