Out with the old and in with the new

God gave Christopher an amazing gift!  He is eating everything in sight and loving it!

Not only was tube feeding slow, it could be messy!  Formula spills were a real problem because sometimes the bags and the tubing leaked.  It also wasn't unusual for Christopher (as he rolled around in his bed during the night) to become accidentally unhooked from his feeding tube, and then for the feeding tube to "feed" his bed or floor instead of Christopher!  On more than one occasion, he would wake up in a cold, wet puddle of formula. 

His drain tube would often leak too.  We have gone through many bile stained sheets and blankets over the years.  I tried everything to get the stains out, but there wasn't a stain remover in the world that could eat through all those bile stains. 

In order to alleviate the problem, we had to get creative.  I bought plastic covers to encase his mattress (formula is especially tough on mattresses!) and pillow, and we used plastic tarps or vinyl tablecloths around his bed and underneath his IV pole to catch as much of the formula spills as possible.  We used towels and rags around his drain tube to catch leaks, and we taped the tubing to his pajamas to try to lessen the chance that the feeding tube would become dislodged at night.  Even with all our precautions, leaks and spills still happened from time to time.  It was just part of the process, but no since crying over spilled milk...or formula.  It was nothing a little soap and water couldn't fix. 

After the miracle, Christopher was so excited about eating.  He was eating everything in sight, and he didn't want anything to do with tube feeding or his IV pole.  One night as I was sitting on my bed (writing this blog) I heard some commotion in the hallway.  It was Christopher.  He had THROWN his IV pole out of his room!  He wanted anything and everything that had to do with tube feeding OUT of his room.  He got rid of the formula stained towels, throw rugs, and vinyl table cloth.  He was even rearranging the furniture in his room. 

God had given him a new start, a clean slate, so Christopher wanted his room to reflect his new eating life.  As far as he was concerned, it was "out with the old and in with the new," so we decided to completely redecorate his room.  We replaced the stained sheets and blankets with new ones.  We bought a new bedspread and pillows for his bed, and Christopher chose a new area rug for his floor.  We even bought new posters and pictures for his walls. 

It was a changed room for his changed  life.  There wasn't one bit of evidence of his life with feeding tubes left.  No more spills or stained sheets to worry about.  Now... if I can just get him to keep that new room clean!

These are just some of the supplies we have to donate.

Special Note:  If you or anyone you know is in need of feeding supplies please contact me at christophersstory@gmail.com .  We would be happy to donate our leftover supplies to anyone who could use them.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can pray like this:

More tomorrow...