Sunday, February 5, 2012

Feeding Tube Awareness Week

This week I'm hoping to post every day on topics for the second annual Feeding Tube Awareness Week. You can learn more from the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation.

Today's topics: Why awareness is important to my family - What would be different for me/my child if tube feeding was better understood?

Awareness is important to us because we're on tubie #2 here. Because feeding tubes are "normal" at our house. Because some kids - my kids - would (would have) starve themselves, because they're unable to successfully eat orally.

Awareness would mean fewer stupid comments from doctors (who should know better). It'd mean fewer parents giving us dirty looks because their kid asks about our tubes. It'd mean fewer people staring at us when we're out with Leaf - in her 5 days at home her feeding pump often went wherever we did, and that caused a lot of consternation for some people.

Even post-feeding tube, Acorn gets a lot of funny looks. "Every kid" eats candy, right? What do we mean he doesn't eat cookies? Yes, he's 3 1/2 and still drinks milk from a bottle....at least he drinks.

So, in short, it'd mean a lot less hassle in our lives.

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