Bypassing the Throat

Blood, vomit, snot, saliva, pee, poo it’s all disgusting. I nearly gag every time I brush my own teeth. I have a weak stomach.

So when I found out that I would be meeting with a class of sixteen special ed students, I was more than concerned. Would I have to see drool? Would there be smells of human feces? Would the students try to touch me? If I throw up on them do I get fired?

So mentally, I prepared myself for these things. The runny noses would be wiped by the aids. The smells could be masked. Diapers would be worn. Kitchen towels could be wrapped around necks to catch drool. It would not be too bad, I told myself. And it wasn’t bad when the class finally showed up the first day. The class was even border line fun to teach. I even got used to the constant audible teeth grinding.

But nothing could prepare me for what would come next.

Toward the end of the fifth meeting with the class, a student who was pushed around in a wheel chair, we’ll call him Miguel, began making extra unusual moans. The aids, who were busy doing his project for him, begin reaching into a backpack that was attached to the back of Miguel’s chair.

“Awe, Miguel’s hungry,” one of the aids exclaimed.

She reached into the bag and pulled out a can of Pediasure.

“Oh that’s cool,” I thought to myself. “He drinks Pediasure. That way he’ll get all of the required nutrients.”

She shook the can and opened it. Next, she pulled out a really long straw for him to drink with and put one end into the opened can. The other end disappeared into the backpack. She reached far into the bag and found another straw. She lifted up Miguel’s shirt and inserted this second straw directly into his stomach. She flipped a switch and the liquid began moving from the can into him, completely bypassing the mouth and esophagus. Miguel’s eyes rolled back into his head and a satisfied look came across his face.

At this point, my knees gave out from under me, and I nearly fainted. Quickly, I retreated to my desk to force myself to breath. Questions were posed to me by students and other aids, but I was too focused on not passing out to answer.

I was given no warning what so ever. The food just quickly went from the can directly into his stomach by way of the port at the surface of his skin. Disgusting. Nothing can prepare you for this. I hate my job.