Last week was one of the most frustrating weeks I have had in a long time. I took over the nursing duties of BG for a few weeks while our nurse was on vacation and then last week one of our volunteers went away and I was put in charge of feeding one of our kids with special needs. This child has been on a feeding tube and we are trying to get her to swallow food again in hopes of getting her off the feeding tube. I have helped a few times in the past and she has done ok, but last week she was apparently on an eating strike. For 6 days, I would go to feed her at 10,12, 2, and 4 and she would refuse to swallow and would spit most of the food out or hold it in her mouth for 7 minutes before spitting it out all over me.
I wasn't frustrated about getting spit on, but I was so frustrated because I really want that tube out so she can live a "normal" life. I want her to be able to enjoy food and be able to have a normal schedule because there will not be much in her life that will ever be "normal." I love this little girl so much and I have been praying for her for a long time and it just made me sad to see her struggling and being defiant about one of the most basic things I could do for her.
It turns out that she was getting a whole bunch of molars and was teething last week. I never thought of that possibility when I was feeding her because she does not open her mouth a whole lot and when it was open, I took my chance and shoveled some food or milk in. Yesterday, I was able to feed her again because her helper was out of town and she ate very well. We decided to try buying baby food instead of mashing things up for her because she has a huge gag reflex and the baby food is perfect. I may have to buy a special blended to get that same consistency but we will have to go week by week with this little girl. I at least have hope again that we will be able to keep her eating.
Even if last week felt like a waste of time with the eating part, at least I was able to hold her and love on her a little while she was teething (even though I was oblivious to her pain). Please join me in praying that she will continue eating well and that we will not have too many set backs. Please pray that she will increase her desire to eat so we can give her enough food to make her grow and be healthy without her feeding tube. We have hope that God will bring healing to her and that He has a very good plan for her life even if we cannot see what His plan could be.
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