Tube feeding with a pump

We finally know why Joy’s g-tube has been leaking so badly for so long.  Her stomach capacity is down to 30 ccs.  When we fed her by gravity, we were feeding her at least 60ccs at a time – way too much.

So Joy is going to be "on a pump."  The pump will dispense the Osmolite at a rate of 30 ccs per hour over a 24-hour period.   The doctor said that she may be able to handle 40 ccs if her stomach expands again. If so, we can switch to having her on the pump for only 18 hours per day.

This will take some major adjustments.  Feeding her will be easier, in many ways.  But doing anything else — bathing, dressing, physical therapy, going out — will be more complicated.

• Praise the Lord that Joy’s skin ulcer is healing well, with no infection left at all. 
• Pray that we will able to quickly get set up with a pump at home so that Joy can come home.  There are complications about who is to pay for that.
• Pray that we would adjust easily to the changes that will come into our lives because of Joy needing to be fed this different way.