Monday, September 10, 2012

Still Waiting for a Button

I really, really miss Nolan's "button." His Mic-Key button is so much better than the old-fashioned PEG tubes. He is currently sitting out gym at school because we're worried the PEG will get caught on something. The button is so tiny and doesn't require tape or ACE bandages to keep it in place. The PEG, however, does.


I did make a "pocket" out of some 4x4 pads, but the PEG keps falling out of the pocket. It was a good idea at first, but the ACE bandages work better. A mom on the LTBM Australia board* sent me information on how to make a wiggly bag, which is a bag that hangs around the neck and holds the PEG so it doesn't flop all over the place.

Through a few online contacts, I managed to find a mom who has an extra 12 french, 1.2cm Mic-key on her hands. This is the size Nolan needs, so I'm going to pay shipping and she'll send me the extra button (her child is now in a bigger size and no longer requires that particular button).

In the meantime, I get to play Fight the Insurance Company for his formula and replacement button. I did order one online because there was a sale ($114), but the buttons normally cost around $300 - so we do want insurance to cover them.

Nolan loves Kindergarten and ate really well on Friday at school. This is a big relief! His TOD followed him all day and monitored his hearing in different environments. He doesn't hear at all in background noise, and is extremely reserved and quiet at school. Fortunately, there is one child in his class from last year, and he has been paired up with that child to facilitate socialization. He'll warm up in a few weeks, but the noise of a classroom is a bit overwhelming for him at first.

As a side note, the boy has really taken a liking to sweater vests. His fashion sense cracks me up.




*The LTBM Australia Facebook group is excellent for parents with children who have severe laryngomalacia, TOF/TEF, laryngeal clefts, tracheomalacia, bronchomalacia, etc. It's the only group I have found where there are older children with the more severe complications of these conditions.

3 comments:

Herding Grasshoppers said...

I love the sweater vests! Together with his glasses he looks like a junior English professor ;D

Looking forward to a new mic-key.

Julie

Unknown said...

Love the sweater vest!! He's so cute.

Hang in there :)

Kyla said...

The more trouble you have with buttons, the more I think you would be better off with a Bard! I know most people think button balloons are more convenient, but being far from the hospital and with insurance drama getting spares...it might be better (and cheaper) to go to a non-balloon.