Tricks of the Trade

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do so is increased.”  -- Heber J. Grant

Some of the things we are doing regularly are getting easier to remember -- like remembering to give Brendan his Septra every Monday and Tuesday. And remembering to put the EMLA cream on his port 30 minutes before blood draws.  

Some things we are getting better at -- It takes us much less time each night to set up his overnight "feeds" than it used to.  I remember to pull the bag apart before pouring the food in so it doesn't spill all over the floor.  And I rarely squeeze his medicine out of his feeding tube access any more -- (because I know to hold the other access end in tight).  

 The other night I even gave Brendan his medicine in the dark.  I couldn't see what I was doing, but I was able to open the access, put the medicine into his feeding tube, flush the line, and close the access  --all while the feeding pump was still going.  And it didn't even leak food all over!  It was just like the nurses at the hospital :)

I can pack bags for the hospital in about nothing flat.  I know just what we need and how much for a 5 day stay.  When we leave the house, I know what to take -- 2 blue barf bags (you never want to be caught without one of those -- which is why we take an extra), 2 syringes, 1 bottle of Ensure, at least one Zofran tablet (anti-nausea med), and some water (to flush his line).  Oh, and it is ever so helpful to have baby wipes to clean up the drips of Ensure -- or worse-- the spray of liquid that squirts out the line.  (But that only seems to happen when you are headed somewhere and don't have a change of clothes.)

  We are learning more and more about how to deal with nausea.  For Brendan, there are some simple tricks of the trade.  First of all, it is all about distraction, distraction, distraction.  If you can keep Brendan busy, you can usually eliminate the urge to throw up.  We've rubbed his feet, we've watched movies, we've asked him questions -- all in an effort to keep food and medicine down.  Tonight, Maddy kept Brendan occupied while I gave him his sodium solution supplement.  (If you aren't sure how that makes your tummy feel, go take a big swig of extra salty water on an empty stomach.)  He was sure it was all going to come right back up, but with Maddy keeping him laughing we kept it down -- first the 10 minutes, then the 20 minutes required to not have to give it to him again.
 When distraction just isn't enough to eliminate the urge, we all just go on about our day as if nothing has changed.  It feels rather calloused to have Brendan sick while we just ignore him, but when he is throwing up he does much better if we are not hovering or asking silly questions, like, "Are you alright?  Do you feel ok?"  (You should see the eye roll when someone asks that question!)

Brendan has learned a thing or two himself.  Whenever he throws up he knows to hold his feeding tube in place so he doesn't throw it up.  There is rarely anything in his stomach, so only small amounts of fluid are usually lost.  Over time, I've found that certain phrases actually trigger him to start throwing up.  All I have to say is, "Is your stomach feeling alright?" and he usually begins to throw up.  So now I don't even ask how he is feeling.

There are lots of other things we are getting better at, through lots and lots of practice.  And it is all getting easier -- like the drive to Salt Lake and back.  Tomorrow we will be headed there for follow up appointments with Dr. Poppe (the radiation oncologist) and Dr. Patel (Brendan's eye doctor).  I've already charged the iPad so Brendan will have something to keep him occupied on the way down so he doesn't think about his stomach.  Another trick of the trade.