First NG tube

In anticipation of coming home for a few days before the start of the high dose chemo, Zac is weaned off TPN.  Due to the fact that he still has zero appetite and has lost a fair bit of weight, it is decided that he will need an NG tube.  This is a tube that goes through his nose directly into his tummy that we can use to administer his feeds as well as any medication he needs.  In the long run it would make life a little easier with regards to the medication as he always hated taking it so we would often have to pin him down and squirt it into his mouth, especially considering during the high dose chemo he would be on A LOT of medication.  That afternoon he had the tube placed.  Despite the best efforts of the amazing nurses and play specialists to distract him, we ended up having to, once again restrain him, while the tube is inserted up his nose.  There is a lot of initial retching, understandably Zac is not impressed and doesn’t speak with us for the rest of the afternoon.  By the next day however Zac has grown quite used to the tube and the little dinosaur sticker holding it in place against his cheek.  We meet with the dietician who teaches us how to administer tube feeds using a portable feeding machine at home.  It can be used through the night whilst stood in a little stand next to his bed, or during the day where it can be kept in a little rucksack that Zac could wear to allow him to move around with it on.  The rucksack became known as “mini-fishy” by Zac and the only time we tried it on his back he toppled over under the weight of it, so we ended up just hovering around him instead and picking it up to move it as he moved around.