The theme of the day is doing what we love to do.
Aidan is a 3 year old boy. You know what he loves to do? Be a 3 year old boy! The most magical, amazing power of his feeding tube is the ability to do just that. To live his life with the certainty of hundreds and thousands of tomorrows.
At the outset, there is a lot of worry over what a Tubie can't do. It feels as though a feeding tube is some insurmountable obstacle preventing your child from doing everything you'd ever hoped he would do. Is swimming okay? Are sports okay? Will daycare take him? How can life possibly ever be normal?!
It can. It will. I promise.
Think of a thing your little boy has done. Chances are good that my little boy has done it too - he's just done it without stopping for lunch.
Attending Daycare with a tube - CHECK! Aidan's been through daycare with an NG tube, as a toddler, and now with a GJ tube, as a preschooler. It takes care and coordination - and a daycare/preschool that's willing to work with you - but it can absolutely be done! You know how many times another toddler pulled out Aidan's NG tube? Zero. Not even kidding.
Sports - CHECK! Aidan's done soccer, rock climbing, and some pretty rough-and-tumble play at his weekly Gymboree classes. Number of tube injuries sustained? Zero.
Water Play - CHECK! Aidan had the opportunity to take a fresh water swim and a salt water swim with his tube while on our cruise. No special precautions, no special considerations. He had a blast. Water related tube injuries? Zero.
Having a tube has NEVER stopped us from living a normal life. It has NEVER held Aidan back. What it HAS done is give him the normal life he wouldn't otherwise have had. A child who can't get enough nutrition to grow and thrive on his own would never have the opportunity to climb a wall, kick a goal, or learn to say those three precious heart-melting words that every mother longs to hear. Every "I love you" is a gift made possible by this tiny little tube that keeps my boy alive.
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