Surgery is Scheduled...

Well it is official... Our sweet boy will be getting a feeding tube. It has been an tough decision that we have been trying to avoid all along, but finally gave in because of Zack's continued lack of hunger and sleepiness. Also, with everything that has been going on lately with Zack- his recent bout with acidosis, his current kidney stone, and his overall slow growth,  we have decided its time to move forward with the G tube. We had his 1 year check up last week and his weight is still not anywhere near being on the charts at only 17 lbs 4 oz, despite being 50th percentile for length at 29 3/4 inches long.

So we move forward. We met with a GI doctor to discuss our options for feeding tubes, and he was very flexible and said we could utilize many different options for Zack since aspiration is not an issue right now, based on how he adjusts to the tube. At this point it doesn't sound like GI will follow Zack regularly since he already has a Keto dietician, but we can always refer back to him if we need, which is good to know.  The next day we met with Surgery for a consult, and things are moving very quickly now! The surgeon explained that the procedure will be a laparoscopic placement, meaning a fast recovery and smaller incisions for Zack. He will get a mic-key button that we can give his medications through, as well as any formula he doesn't want to take for his feeds.  We will continue to feed by mouth as much as possible, but when he isn't as hungry, this will allow us to ensure he gets enough fluids to keep himself healthy and growing.  We are hoping we can start back on the baby foods again once we can make sure he is meeting his formula requirements, so we are trying to look at this as a positive as much as possible.

For now, the surgery is scheduled for May 17th, but we will not have a time until the day before.  Since Zack is on a strict diet, they are going to try to get him one of the earlier appointments, but we will see how it goes.  It sounds like the procedure itself will take less than an hour, but it will be a few hours total when accounting for anesthesia, recovery, and everything else before we get to be back with our boy again.

Of course because we have went ahead with all of these appointments, Zack has been eating better than ever, little stinker. It is so amazing to see the difference in him when he gets enough to eat, so it is proof that we are doing the right thing for him, even though this is something we never wanted him to go through.

Even his therapists have all commented on the remarkable improvement Zack has made the last couple weeks!! He is so much more interactive and alert, and for lack of a better word, he simply feels more "solid" when you hold him- holding his head up much more steadily and controlling his trunk better than ever before!! We are praying that this surgery will ensure Zack gets what he needs, even if he doesn't want it, so he can continue to get stronger and keep surprising us everyday!