Andrew's G.I. (gastrointestinal) specialist conducted an Endoscope surgical procedure on him today so he could view the esophagus, stomach and upper intestines from the inside. The procedure showed no gross abnormalities or destruction within those organs. In Andrew's current situation that is the best outcome for this crisis. It is now confirmed that the nerves within the stomach are not functioning or not operating in a proper fashion. For that reason, Andrew will require the placement of a GJ-tube. Currently, Andrew is dependent on a G-tube, meaning direct connection to the stomach from the outer abdominal wall. This is the optimal feeding method for a person who is unable to eat by mouth because only one phase of digestion is skipped.. chewing and swallowing. The J portion of the device is inserted through the G-tube and carefully fed through to the upper intestines. This means of feeding is a bit more troublesome as it skips two phases of digestion which are the chewing/swallowing and the stomach. For this reason, individuals fed by a j-tube must have a 24 hour per day continuous feed. There is potential for several issues with these entities but the pros out way the cons at this moment. The hope is that the J-tube feeds will last only weeks or months. The specialist is very encouraged that Andrew's stomach nerves will fully recover from what has damaged them. We are so thankful that God has given doctors the wisdom to create alternative devices to sustain life when the body endures a crisis.
The J-tube device must be special ordered. They are not an item that is readily stocked at any hospital facility. There shelf life is short and the demand is low. It is likely to take several days to arrive. Once the specialist has the tube Andrew will be schedule with the vascular intervention radiology department for the placement. Since Andrew's anatomy is not typical there is a probability that this may fail. Should there be an issue, we will have to discuss creative means to get it inserted properly. Our little guy has several obstacles to overcome but he has always persevered. I am confident that the Lord has this child in His hands so this tragedy will also become a triumph.
