Thursday, May 20, 2010

This Nurse has been FIRED!

So last night I gave Ben a cute hair cut followed by a nice bath.  He looked so clean and smelled so fresh.  I kept telling Steve what a professional I was (kind of tongue in cheek) as I dried in between his fingers, powdered them and wrapped them so that they would stay dry.  Then I applied his face creams, cleaned his ears and chapsticked his lips. Things went down hill from there.  At the very end of my near perfect night, I reached in the drawer above his head for the eye drops.  His eyes were awfully red that night.  I twisted the top off and proceeded to drop the thick, gooey drops right into his mouth.  WHAT?!?  Took me a second to realize what I had just done.  I was off in my own world while Ben's tongue was being lubricated.  Good thing they weren't toxic.  Good grief.  I apologized to Ben as I suctioned the drops up as best I could.  Then I put them where they REALLY go...his eyes.  I tuck his blanket snuggly around him and wait for his bolus feed to finish.  (420mls in an hour)  The pump starts beeping.  I walk over and start to change the numbers over because at night he gets 840mls over 10 hours.  I got the 840 number plugged in when he has a huge coughing fit that needed suctioning.  By the time I was done helping him the machine was beeping at me again, this time letting me know that I had forgotten to start it.  What I didn't realize is that I never changed the rate from 600 to 84.  Big mistake.  I started the pump and climbed into bed.  About 30 minutes later he starts coughing...and retching.  I get up to help him.  Now it's constant.  He never retches...unless his belly is too full.  This crosses my mind but I know that's not what it is because his belly isn't over full.  (little did I know)  The next 30 minutes are consumed with constant suctioning...his heart rate is high.  He's stressed, but I figure it's from all the coughing.  That's when the pump goes off AGAIN.  I look over and the pump says "DOSE COMPLETE".  WHAT?!?  I run over and check the numbers.  The bag is nearly empty.  I realize what I have just done.  I fed his poor little belly 840 mls in a little over an hour AFTER he just finished his bolus feed of 420.  That's like eating three complete meals one right after the other.  Thank goodness for g-tubes.  I ran down and got the biggest cup I could find and emptied the contents of his stomach into the cup.  I couldn't just discard it because there were important meds mixed in.  I decided to pour it into another feeding bag and drip that feed in over night.  The rest of his undigested milk could be given to him in the morning.  Crisis averted.  (thankfully)  And then he fired me.
(White milk is the undigested food, yellow is what I emptied from his stomach)
And he slept peacefully ever after.  No worries though.  The nurse that was fired thankfully was re-hired.  
(in the morning, he's forgiving like that)

12 comments:

Jo Jo said...

I was hired and rehired many times last summer!

The VW's said...

What a forgiving boy!

I have a feeling that this nurse is well worth the re-hire! And, she probably just needed some sleep! Hope you got some! :)

Have a great day....to the greatest nurse that I know! :) HUGS!!!

The VW's said...

Oh, and I have to commend you on your quick thinking! I wonder if I would have thought of using the g-tube to empty his stomach? Great job Momma!

Michelle said...

Ben would never fire you, you are the best nurse he has!

Erin said...

AH MAN. Can't say that never happened at our house. Or once a babysitter misunderstood "60 mls" for 6 syringes full. Which was 360 mls. Which almost exploded poor Boofus. Bad news.

Junior said...

Ben is very forgiving, but then he has the best possible nurse so how could he not rehire you. Big hugs.

asplashofsunshine said...

I'm sure you're not only re-hired, but re-hired with a huge raise too!

Ryan.Kendra.Makenzie.Tracker said...

How could he not rehire that nurse. She knew exactly what to do and got it done! Thats a good nurse. Im not sure if you know me. I come visit your blog quite a bit. I found you through Tara. I love seeing Ben. I love to see your journey. My little girl passed away in December. I sometimes think about what her life and our life would be if she was still here. She had whats called SMARD- similar to SMA. We were debating whether to trach and vent her and the alternative. Oh what I wouldnt give to bring her home and take care of her. Devote my life to her. But she had other plans. Im amazed at you. Your strength. I love Ben. He is such an angel. Thanks for sharing all of this!

shirlgirl said...

Always something interesting going on in your household. Glad you thought quickly and avoided a bursting tummy!! Glad he rehired you, too!

April said...

Oh, I think Ben knows a good thing when he sees it! There's no better nurse in the world for him!!!! You two are a special pair!!
xo

ANewKindOfPerfect said...

Aww, I'm glad Ben rehired you. You are a great nurse. :)

I have screwed up similarly, and my Peanut ends up in the same mess that Ben was in. Poor babes, their tummies are just so sensitive to volume!

Unknown said...

I wish you had told us that bag was his morning OJ.