for those w/ g-buttons - Cerebral Palsy Message Board

aaryn_drewbear · 06-08-2004, 12:57 PM

Hello,

I have a quick question for those of you who have children that have a g-button - or if have one yourself.

Do you ever have a problem with the silicone balloons not working to hold the button in place? My son (10 months) has had a g-button since the end of February and we are going on our 4th replacement button. The first balloon separated from the post completely, and the other ones just got holes in them. It's just very irritating - this last one only lasted 2 weeks before the balloon started leaking, and our "insurance" only pays for one per month. We were told that they should last a few months at the least. It would be great if we were made of money

(haha) but those buttons are expensive!

Anyways - I guess I shouldn't complain about it since my boy is finally gaining weight and getting the nutrition that he needs, but it is very frusterating.

Hugs to all,

Aaryn & the Bear

PajamaMomma · 06-08-2004, 02:13 PM

Hi. My 8 yr old also has a button. He has had it for over 7 years now. We have also had problems with the balloon. Alot of the time it depends on how much acids are in his tummy. Does your child also eat by mouth? If so, things that contain alot of acids can contribute to the balloon wearing out quickly. Stomach acids break down the silicone balloon. My son loves tomato based foods, but because of the acid content we had to limit the amount he could have. We were going through 3-4 buttons every 6 months or so. Also, natural stomach acids can play a big part. If your child has reflux, that could be the culprit. Sometimes switching to a better acid blocking med such as Prevacid can be a big help. What kind of button is it? My son has almost always used the Mic-Key ones. There is one made by Ross as well, and I found that the Mic-Keys last longer. There is another kind, too, but I can't remember the name - I think it may start with a "b". It is held in differently than the other buttons and has to be placed only by the doctor. We have never used that kind, but I hear it lasts much longer than all the others. Hope this helped you out a bit! Good Luck!

OrbOfConfusion · 06-08-2004, 08:02 PM

Hey yall,

What is a g-button and what does it do? Just curious because my nephew has some sort of device on his stomach that his parents use to feed him with.

Melissa

PajamaMomma · 06-09-2004, 07:10 AM

Hi. It's just a G-tube, but instead of being a long tube it is a small "button". You just hook up an extention tube to the button for feeds, then disconnect it when done. The button looks a bit like the mouth piece on beachballs and rafts. Its a pretty cool concept! It's much easier and cleaner than the fixed long tube kind.

aaryn_drewbear · 06-09-2004, 09:29 AM

Hey PajamaMomma,

My son has the Mic-key also. It makes me feel better that we're not the only ones that have this problem! Just out of curiosity - when your son originally got the button, did they give you a time frame for how long he might have to have it? We haven't been told anything as far as what the docs expect. I'm just guessing he'll have it until he can consume enough by mouth to continue getting the nutrition and gaining weight. He only weighs 12 1/2 pounds - he's a tiny little guy, but he's a fighter!! He proved that to us the day he was born.