Oh the vomiting. I feel like it’s one of the invisible parts of our life, but Mikaere vomits EVERY DAY. Everyday the gagging, and the vomit and the changing and washing and comforting.
We carry towels around with us (most which have ever so slightly off colour splotches). We have a change of clothes for him, and for us. Vomit and the discomfort of vomiting is our day to day, and has been since February 2018.
Can we just take a minute and talk about how awful that is? How uncomfortable for Mikaere, how sad and smelly and gross and just, awful?
How happy would you be, if you vomited everyday? Tasting the bile, feeling it rise up the back of your throat? Knowing that day after day you wouldn’t be able to keep anything down? And no choice but the vomit, not able to communicate that you feels nauseous, not able to move your body into a more comfortable position.
How is that acceptable? How is that quality of life?
It’s not. No one seems as upset about it as I am. It’s taken a year and half for anyone to investigate. A year and half of me speaking about it with every single medical professional on our team, insisting that this is not okay, asking for help, asking what else we can do, asking for more for better.
Then our gastro follow up for the gastrostony that we had in Feb 2018 was set for April 2020. Because the gastro Service at our local hospital is chronically underfunded and there is no consultant to see us.
This week we finally, finally had a ph study. It’s the very first step in understanding how much vomiting/reflux is happening. It’s only for 24 hours and requires a prob is put down Kai’s nose (and an X-ray to confirm correct placement).
It’s frustrating. We already know he’s vomiting, we already know he has reflux, and we know this because we take detailed logs of everything Kai does. I’m not sure whether they think I’m a hysterical mama bear whose making it up, or whether my data is just inaccurate (or are they just doing their due diligence?) but regardless, a step has been taken. Something has happened, and I’m hopeful that that something results in a review which will then kick off a bigger investigation.
My fear is that there is no reason. Or the reason is something stupid like the surgeon hitched the gastrostomy too high.
We’ll see. I’m grateful something has happened though, even if that something was a redundant waste of time. If it means someone is looking at its data and recommending a review, it will be worth it.
