TPN Please help

Hi there,
I cannot say I have been in your mothers situation, for one thing I did not have to have a colostomy and I don't exactly understand what is going on. However, I did have a liver resection and had a hematoma form at the site of my incision. I was released from the hospital and went home but soon started vomiting every time I ate. This went on for alsmost 2 weeks before I went to the hospital emergency room. I felt like a POW or something cause I literally was starving to death. Apparently the hematoma (large blood blister) was pressing on my duodenum (part of your stomach). So while they drained that thing, which does not happen overnight, I was put on TPN. I have to say it really perked me up! I started feeling better in a few days. I only did it for like a week or so, but I regained my strength and was able to start eating normally again and recovered fully from the whole incident.
I hope it works equally well for your Mom and she's able to get on with her life..
Poor thing..
Well, take care and best wishes,
Susan H.

TPN only means being fed great nutrition from IVs, much easier then chewing!!!! 4 months before my cancer dx (the durn docs missed it then), my colon perforated (no previous symptoms and no family history, I was 49 at the time). I developed a severe case of peritonitis (an infection in the abdomen that kills more then 70% infected with it) and was the sickest I have ever been in my life. I was in the hospital 3 weeks (luckily I don't remember most of it) and almost died twice on the operating table as they tried to suck out the infected pus. They had to stop for fear of me dying on the table. The first 2 weeks I mostly got antibiotics and other meds and once they took, the last few days I got what I called b-b-q potato chips and milk which were 2 TPN IVs that were AMAZING, they had the color of the chips in a bag and the milk in a glass container and since I hadn't eaten in over 2 weeks my mind wandered, hence the names. I can still see them now and that was almost 4 years ago. I could feel myself coming alive again right after them, 3 rounds and I came home. Welcome the help to get her some nutrients and I bet you see some good results in days.

Keep us posted,

Lisa P.

My mom has colon cancer too and has an ileostomy. She also has had trouble eating and we did the TPN. It was very beneficial. We noticed a big difference in her strength afterwards. We are considering it again until her digestive problems are resolved.