Monday will be one week that we have been home

Well Monday will be one week that we have been home. It is once again quite an adjustment - but we are getting there.

I wanted to thank everyone for the helpful hints so far. This has been a wonderful place to come and read and feel like you are a part of another family.

As an update - Emma has already pulled her trach out during a tie change - but I stayed calm, but the trach back in, got the situation under control and shocked myself at how calm I stayed. I am starting to think I can get through this!

Anyways - my question is - does anyone have any tips on shampooing Emma's hair? I am hoping there is some cool invetion out there that will help to eliminate any chance of water around the trach.

Thanks again
Trish - Emma's mom

[cariaad]

I used a HME and then a washcloth bandana-style around her neck and shampooed in the tub. I used a washcloth to rinse (still do, Alli hates having water poured on her hair or head). It takes a little getting used to, especially not to get too much shampoo so you're rinsing forever. But it works easy once you have the hang of it. Deb

[christyw]

You could put a bunch of soft towels on the counter by the sink and use the spray nozzle of the sink---if you have one. We have done that lately for a quick hair washing for Gaithy. Gaithy doesn't have a trach anymore, but she wears CPAP at night and the headgear totally WRECKS her hair, so I have to wash it more frequently just to get it to look good!

Christy

[Nate's Mom]

We've always just put Nate in an infant tub that fits over our kitchen sink. He's 18 mos and still fits. We put an HME on him in the early days and now he wears the passy muir which both protect the open trach tube. We use the sink nozzle to rinse his hair and we've never had any trouble of getting water on his face or neck. It does take some getting used to though. When Nate was really small, my husband and I bathed Nate as a team! Good luck with everything and welcome home!!

[Laurie]

When Evan was small, we had him in an infant tub, with buckets of water beside us. We wet his hair with a washcloth, scrubbed in the shampoo with a little scrub brush we got in the NICU (great for preventing cradle cap) and then rinsed with a washcloth, just wiping his head, and dipping the cloth in clean water until all the soap was out. At first, Evan wore his mist collar with an open trach during all this, and since he could not sit up and fit snugly in the tub, splashing was not a problem. As he got bigger and more able to tolerate being off O2, we used a humidivent while he sat up in his baby tub, which we put in the big bathtub.

[Melisande]

Donovan is quite the splasher in the bath tub! He has little fear of water. We haven't been really particular about some small amounts of water going over his head or in his face. He has a split 2x2 that absorbs any small amount that might get close to his stoma and he wears either his PMV or an HME while he baths. He sits in a bath seat that was convertible from an infant tub. I think it came from Target, Safetyfirst brand, I think. The seat has a back and a bar in front, kind of like those highchairs at a restaurant. We just tilt his head back and try to make sure all the water goes down his back to wet and rinse his hair. He's never had any problems. We always to trach care and change his ties for the day right after his bath.

You're doing great! Once you get a routine established, it will get easier.

[Stefan & Jennifer]

Ditto what Lesley said about using the bathroom sink counter and laying Jake's head over the edge of the sink while holding it in one hand.

We bought some suction cup toys that he really loves and only gets to play with during bath/shampoo time. We stuck them on the bathroom mirror and he plays with them and admires himself in the mirror while my wife gives him his bath.

We put a Thermovent T HME over his trach and have never had problems. Our doctors told us that he won't get water into his lungs from around the stoma, because it's sealed pretty tight further inside, but if that is a concern, maybe a big glob of K-Y jelly might provide a temporary water seal around the stoma, which can then be cleaned off later on?? Just a thought.

[Judy]

We had a nurse friend tell us the same thing about water in the trach...she said we have an advantage with Kenya in that we can suction the water out whereas our typical children we can not. I have always washed Kenya's hair in the tub under running water. She loves having the water on her head and actually trys to push her head back to get it on her face. We have had no trouble with aspiration, etc. and she is now 8.

Good Luck and hang in there. You have already overcome the first trach change on your own and you will soon find you are no longer nervous about some of these things. Isn't it funny the way we adjust to what to us is "normal" but to others would he a nightmare?

Love to you all and God Bless You.

Judy