Today is day 25 with just 81 days remaining!! Joshua had a good day today. His surgeon stopped by and switched out the tube in the upper portion going between the stomach and the stoma, to a bigger tube to help that dilate more. Everything seems to be moving along really well there.
We learned some more about the anatomy of the intestinal tract today. We learned that there is a valve that slows down the food from moving straight through and not allowing any of the nutrients to be absorbed. Well Joshua's valve is in the lower portion of the intestine, so that means the top portion has nothing that will slow down food and allow anything to be absorbed. So anything that is fed through the stomach will not be for nutritional value. He's going to be getting all nutrition from the bottom portion, just until the surgery in December to connect everything back together. So that news means the only breastmilk that he'll probably get will be small amounts to the upper portion, and will mainly be just to give him tastes and make him feel like he's getting food, but will not be for nutritional value. Again, bummer. He will probably be only truly "eating" the formula until all of this is over. Whatever is best for him is of course what I want, but what in the world am I going to do with all this pumped breastmilk!! I will have months worth of it stored away!! I don't know, but I'm definitely not giving up. I'll keep up the pumping and hopefully someday he'll either be able to nurse or at least be bottlefed the breastmilk. Either option would be a win for me. I just want him to have that milk.
So anyway, he's still gaining weight and is incredibly healthy and super cute and that's what's important!! I think in the next day or two I'll be reporting that's he's hit the 9 pound mark!
The surgeon today also said that he rarely comments on the cuteness of his patients, but he thinks Joshua is very cute!! I have to agree, but maybe I'm biased!!
3 comments:
You're not biased - he is a doll!
I am sure that the milk will be put to good use once he is home!
Glad you got more good reports form the dr. He looks wonderful! Joshua, not the dr. But I haven't seen the dr. so maybe he does too...
He is adorable and his skin is so nice and smooth.
I am sure you are not surprised to hear how touched I was by the breast feeding portion of that post. The part you said about not giving up made me cry. I mean how amazing are you? The cool thing is that Joshua will get milk way beyond your quitting date for nursing. I would have loved that. I remember having a tiny bit stored and Sawyer's doctor (bowel specialist) tell me to use it like medicine for when he is at his worst and can't poop. I remember realizing (again) what that says about breast milk. Sawyer's problems got worse when I quit nursing at 13 months. Keep filling those freezers baby..fill your basement with freezers. BUT, if you get to a point where it is too much under the circumstances, know that you already have so much to give him. He is already so lucky to have the family he has and the mommy he has.
So sweet and looks so big already!
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