Very new at this

[norac433]

Our newest foster child will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.
We have taken care of foster children for years but have never taken care of a child with these type of medical needs. We've been in training since January, and everyone feels we are ready.

She has a trach and is on a vent for 6 hours a night. She also has a Mic-key tube and gets feedings after meals and during the night.

The medical supply people delivered a month's worth of supplies Sunday afternoon. It was overwhelming, but it was good to know that I knew what everything was, and how to use it. We will be getting 72 hours of nursing a week and plan on using it during the evenings from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

I am so glad I have found this site and look forward to reading here and learning from all the experiences other posters have had with their children.
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[Kate]

Welcome!! You have found the right place!! Any questions you have-someone will be able to answer them!! It is a bit scary at first-but you'll get the hang of it! :hug:

[kirafaesmom]

Welcome! Our daughter (now adopted) came to us a very medically fragile 13 month old (she'll be 6 in April). She didn't have the Gtube, VNS or the trach at that time. You will find that you are able to handle a whole lot more than you think you can! We too are very new to the trach as Kira didn't get hers till this Feb. 4th. This group has been an amazing source of information and support....I'm glad you found us.

[La Belle-Mere]

Welcome. One thing I have learned over and over again is that I am more confident, stronger, smarter and can handle more stress then I have ever given myself credit for. It is amazing what you can do for love. In a few months time it will seem way less complicated and more a part of your every day. I remember being so scared to learn the medical care or to be "in charge of" the care of someone else's children (I am a stepmom to 2 girls who are trached and vented 24/7) but once I learned what I needed to know it all seemed less scary and it has become a bonding experience between me and the girls. I am sure you will be fantastic :)

[norac433]

Thank you Kate, kirafaesmom, and La Belle-Mere for your kind words of encouragement. My husband and I are very new at this and I am more apprehensive than he is. I will be the one alone with her much more than him, as he is out of the house most of the day.

I am so glad to find this message board and read about all the experiences you've encountered along the way.
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[alizesmom]

Wecome to you and your family. Both of my little ones were fosters that we were lucky to adopt. I can't wait to hear more about you and your new little one. May we ask your name? Karen

[JWorthington]

Hi and welcome. Yes, it is scary at first but you will soon get the hang of things. Plus, you can adopt your own routines outside of the hospital environment that works for you. Good luck

Julie

[norac433]

Because of a mix up with the nurses, our foster daughter will not be discharged until Wednesday morning. I am a little relieved as I keep finding more things to do. I didn't have any distilled water and just went out to buy it.

Thank you for welcoming me alizesmom and JWorthington. I look forward to reading here and learning from your experiences.
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[madelyn and rynns mom]

Welcome to the boards!!


Kris

[kirafaesmom]

Thank you Kate, kirafaesmom, and La Belle-Mere for your kind words of encouragement. My husband and I are very new at this and I am more apprehensive than he is. I will be the one alone with her much more than him, as he is out of the house most of the day.

I am so glad to find this message board and read about all the experiences you've encountered along the way.
I know there are several foster/adopt Moms/Dads here; it definitely comes with a unique set of "considerations" and emotional/responsibility issues when we are making so many decisions for someone else's child. Some are small, and yet with these medically fragile kiddo's, there's often a lot of BIG decisions too. Feel free to PM me if you'd like....been there, done that, still am....and would do it all again, and again and again.

[norac433]

Thank you for the welcome madelyn and rynns mom.

kirafaesmom, hubby and I have been foster parents for many years to many, many children. We have four of our own (all over 18 now) and one we adopted, who is 16. We also have 4 grandchildren.

I always feel that there is a level of care that is higher when I am taking care of a child that is not my own. I keep hoping I will remember everything I was taught at the hospital. I took so many notes!! Hopefully, nothing will go wrong and we will be able to pick her up at the hospital tomorrow.
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[T-bone]

Welcome to the boards and good luck.

Tess

[elijah'smom]

Welcome...you can learn alot from this board.

[winstar99]

Because of a mix up with the nurses, our foster daughter will not be discharged until Wednesday morning. I am a little relieved as I keep finding more things to do. I didn't have any distilled water and just went out to buy it.

Thank you for welcoming me alizesmom and JWorthington. I look forward to reading here and learning from your experiences.
norac433,

I am new to this site also. I noticed you said you need to buy distilled water - is this for humidity/mist?. I did that for a while until someone at the supply company mentioned if they listed the water as 'sterile water for inhalation' the insurance company would cover it. I got a prescription from the doctor and they have been covering it for about 6 months now.

I wish you the best, with everything. This is hard, I have learned and have had to do things I never even thought of, but I do it for my daughter, I love her and she needs me to be there for her.

Joann

[norac433]

Thank you T-Bone, elijah'smom, and winstar99. I will ask about the distilled water. I went to the grocery store and purchased two gallons at .99 a gallon. I have to write everything down (and hope I understand my notes), because there is so much to learn and to remember.

We brought our foster daughter home today along with all her personal items.
The hospital told us to take everything or they would throw it away. We brought home many, many suctioning trays, diapers, wipes.....just a lot of things. We were suppose to bring the LTV 950 and forgot it. The home health care went back to the hospital to pick it up (32 miles one way!)
I had social workers, health care nurses, and people from the health care agency here most of the afternoon.

Hubby left for church and we are home alone right now. She is sitting quietly on her little chair watching a tape. I hooked her up to her g-tube feeding (yea for me) and to her misting machine and as soon as she is done....bedtime.

I only hope the nurse comes tonight at 10 p.m.
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[Kaylie]

Hi and welcome to the board. this is a great site, not just for info but for support and comfort as well. cant wait to here all about you guys...

[Hope]

I only hope the nurse comes tonight at 10 p.m.

Hopefully the nurse showed up! Good luck with everything and welcome!
Hope

[KJKK8437]

Welcome! We are looking forward to getting to know you better.

[TommysDad]

We wanted to welcome you. Hope all is going well now that your foster child is home with you. If you ever need anything, this site is AWESOME! Again, WELCOME!:D

~Maggie

[faywrayy]

Welcome!

[Waterman08]

Hi,
My name is Melyca, my daugher Faith has been trached since birth. She also has a g-tube for feedings. I know that it all feels really overwhelming right now, but trust me it does get easier. Faith is 5 now, still trached and using signlanguage as her communication. We have been through a lot. You will be abel to do this, just the fact that you would take a child with this, says that you care enough to put in the effort. Someday trach changes will seem as easy as changing a diaper... I promise!

[norac433]

Thank you for all the responses. I have learned so much reading the threads here.

It's been two weeks now and the nurses have come every night. They have been very helpful. I am still a little afraid to take her anywhere except Church and doctor appointments. She was suppose to have two more RSV shots, but medicaid turned her down (something about her being over 2 years old). At her doctors appointment yesterday the doctor said to watch her, because she will probably get RSV and wind up in the hospital. This makes no sense to me. Her social worker is appealing.

I mastered the art of changing the trach, suctioning, ventilator, and feeding tube. I even gave her two tub baths. I think that was the scariest part. I was very careful washing her hair and keeping water away from her neck.

I am also hopeful that she will be weaned off the ventilator soon as she is only on it from midnight till 6 a.m.
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