Aw... Our First Bouncing Cloggy

That's officially the worst blog entry title ever. You're welcome! ;-)

So...

The Tube Clogged.

Those three words are, from what i hear, what many excited-to-blend newbie parents hear as a deterent for NOT blending a diet for their formula-fed tubie kiddo. The dreaded clogged tube. Like an explosive. The end of civilization as we know it.

I never had to personally hear those words because - well - so far, there is not a medical ANYONE that knows what i'm doing. Yet. They will. But i plan to go in there (whichever "there" it might be - there are so many with Hank) with 2+ months under my belt, with living proof that it rocks, and then any deterents they might toss my way will fizzle into dust before me.

[OOoOoooOOOhhh... With that last sentence, i'm thinking of drawing a new Super Hero, named BLENDIE, or something like that. But no cape. (watch Pixar's The Incredibles for why)]. :-)

Daycare called right after the end of his morning meal saying they were unable to get the last 20 mls in. He's been congested (which i now think is total coincidence and not related) and that he started wretching a little. I asked them, over the phone, to try a water flush. In the past, some of his blends have been thicker than others (i try to avoid that from now on) and while plunging the food was nearly impossible, a water flush was not. A good indication the tube was NOT clogged. We hung up with that game plan...

They called back to say the water would not go in either.

So, unsure of really what was happening, but detecting a clog, i left work (LOVE my easy-going, understanding Wegmans!), ran home to get 1) a new button, 2) a button syringe (5 ml) and 3) a new extension tube. Figured one of those three, or combos therein, would do the trick.

Right off the bat, i changed his tube. Brand spanking new one. Flushed some water. Easy breezy. At that point, i'm almost POSITIVE it was the extension tube (which i believe is 99% of the reasons for clogs - stuff gets snagged right at the little opening). Went to the sink and when water would not flush through the tube, i blew HARD (yes, with my disgusting bacteria ridden MOUTH - ha!) on the button end, toward the port end. I think i popped my ears a little. Sure enough, some gunk cleared (did not see a seed or an actual THING other than thick food) and was able to flush tube with water. I cleaned it real good and put it in the "stash" of Hank Supplies for if/when this happens again.

I suggested to the gals that changing the extension tube, should this happen again, be Option 2, actually. To FIRST take the syringe, with water, and do a little "plunging" back and forth action. I likened it to plunging a toilet clog. Same notion. Dislodge the clog with muscle.

I wasn't at all worried about this clog. It's our first since starting all this 1+ month ago, and was a completely harmless one. I am fortunate in that Hank has a BUTTON, which can come out. And our extension tube COMES OUT. I realize the PEG system is not as easy, and what is a simple clog to me might not be so simple for those folks. :-/ And the whole G-J tube thing... might even be worse. I'm SO SO GLAD that Hank got rid of that G-J tube eons ago. I hated it the minute i saw it.

So that is that. Another obstacle arisen and knocked down. No big whoop.