son needs gj tube

jshet

New member
Hi, my son is 15 with cf ( will be 16 in 2 weeks) and has autism. He is still having a hard time gaining weight (he currently weighs 69 lbs) and his cf doctor sent us to see a gi that specializes in cf(both from Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh) to discuss a g-tube. After a very thorough 1st exam the doctor concluded that Jacob is not a good candidate for a g tube but will need a gj tube instead. He feels that jacob will need continuous feeds lasting most of the day instead of just overnight.
I must admit I was completely caught off guard and was not able to think of questions that I of course am thinking of now. I was hoping if there are any parents on here that their child has this type of tube if you could tell me your experience. Like how painful is it, how often does the tube have to be changed, how do they go about their day when they are hooked to a tube or anything else you can think of . They said my son will have to be in the hospital for about 5 days. Jacob will have a ct scan on Tuesday to check to be sure there is not any chrons going on too. Thanks in advance any info will be greatly appreciated.Janelle
 

schmj4910

New member
I just found this great site:

http://www.feedingtubeawareness.com/

You can also "like" Feeding Tube Awareness on Facebook. The moms have great advice. It's nice to read about other people who are dealing with the same things as you are.

As for your questions, I'm not much help. We have a G-tube son, who only gets overnight feeds. I've heard that a GJ is a little more painful and complicated than a G. Continuous feeders wear a small backpack that holds the pump and the bag of formula. We change the tube every other month at home. It's really not that bad, but I still hate doing it.
 

jshet

New member
Thank you so much, I am just a little overwhelmed right now. I guess I am concerned how he will react especially because of the autism. We had not planned on having to do feeds through the day but I guess right now it is what is best. it's good to hear there is a way to keep his routine going during the day. One good thing is he wears a book bag wherever we go so he will be use to that. We are currently fundraising for an autism service dog for my son and plan to start training with the dog on Sat., so we are hoping to put the surgery off until January so we will have his dog to help him while he is in. I am definitely going to check out the website, thank you so much. Janelle
 
Top