Button panick

I sat Oaklynn down in her "happy chair" to watch some Mickey Mouse in her room before her Occupational Therapist got here. Therapy came and she left Oaklynn in the same chair to work on eating and playing with some other things. About 40 minutes into therapy, the OT stood her up to move her to another position and when she stood her up, she noticed that a button (g-tube) was sitting on her chair. 

We have an extra one that a friend gave us that was put in a baby doll so Oaklynn could have a doll just like her. So when she grabbed it I just figured it was the baby dolls. Then I thought that we should check her stomach just to make sure. When lifting up her shirt we noticed that hers was missing!! She just had this little hole in her stomach and NOTHING occupying it. I started to panic. Luckily the OT was there so I tried not to look too panicked on the outside but my heart was beating SUPER fast. 

When you get the surgery, they warn you about how serious it is if the button falls out and how you have to immediately stick the replacement back in quickly so it doesn't start to close up. So I am in panic not knowing how long her button has been out of her stomach since she had been sitting in that seat for quite a while. In my mind I am thinking I am going to have to head to the ER and get the surgery done again. I asked the OT to lay her flat on the ground and watch her while I went to get her another button. I grabbed everything I needed to change her button and ran back into her room. I got the button ready to put into her stomach. I closed my eyes and took a DEEP breath to try to relax myself (kinda also said a silent prayer at that same time). I slowly put the button into her stomach and she was tightening her stomach so I was having a hard time getting past her muscles and into her stomach. I kept wiggling it around and in it slipped!! I looked up at the OT with big excited eyes and said, "It's in!". I smiled, filled it with water and sat her back up. Of course Oaklynn was all smiles the whole time. None of it even phased her!

I checked out her old button and the "balloon" that is filled with water that is inside the stomach had popped. For all I know, it could have popped a day ago but the button didn't fall out until during OT. It was a huge blessing that I didn't discover her button missing while I was alone. I am SO grateful the OT was there with me.

Since her surgery (1 year ago) her button had only been replaced once. I was the one who changed it out, but I was in the doctor's office with her telling me what to do. Just the day before this all happened I had told Austin it was about time to change her button but I wasn't ready to do it without the doctor so I was going to schedule an appointment. Now I am for sure ready to change it myself... I'm ready and not scared anymore. Nothing (that has to do with her button) can scare me after that.