Pictured below is Gwendolyn's Mic-Key button (gastric feeding tube or g-tube). Since Gwendolyn is at extremely high risk of aspiration and has lost her ability to swallow, the Mic-Key button is extremely important as it allows us to administer her feeds and give her liquid medication, etc. directly into her stomach. Although she will always have a Mic-Key button in her tummy, it is not permanent and we will be replacing it with a new one every few months. Before inserted, it looks like a large golf tee. It is inserted directly into the small hole, similar to a pierced ear hole, that was surgically placed through her tummy and into her stomach. There is a small, durable balloon on the end of the Mic-Key button that is inflated using a syringe. This balloon is what holds the button it in place inside her tummy.
When it's time for Gwendolyn to eat, we insert a thin rubber tube (pictured below) into her Mic-Key button, lock-it in place, and administer the feed directly into her stomach using her feeding machine. We can also give Gwendolyn liquid medication, etc. through this tube using a syringe. When she is done, we just disconnect the feeding tube and all that is left is the small Mic-Key button in her stomach.
