Pneumonia / Peg Tube

Hondo said:

Hi Everyone
Well it is over I am now the proud owner of a PEG tube, it is all tape up right now till the doctor comes back to show me how to use it.
Thanks to all of you for keeping me in your prayers, like I have always said CSN is a home where we can get away and be with others who know what we are going through

Now If I can start putting on weight, as I am down about 149lbs.

God bless you all
Hondo

Pissed
I just wrote Tim a Pulitzer Prize winning post and it went into "data bit hell" when I loaded it :>(

Glad to see you finally got the peg and I also know it will change your life for the better after a few lessons are learned. First, be careful right now after the surgery. Passing the anestheic gas resulted in another bout of pneumonia for me and another four days in the hospital. Hopefully won't happen to you. I spent the first two years living on Ensure. While I "lived" I never could get strength. Now we empty out the leftovers into Ppapa's" tube and if there aren't any then I have been known to eat a double whopper or an Arby Roast beef. You do need to watch and make certain that somehow you get some balance of veggies (V8 for liquid), vitamins and minerals (chicken pot pies seem pretty well rounded). Remember you aren't going to taste this so mix whatever you want for a balanced meal. I recommend last tube in the evening at least three hour before bed or else you can plan on toilet visits all night. I also shhot meds through the tube.
When I first got the thbe I would tape it up, keep it dry etc etc. Now I wear tee shirts in case the tube doesn't close properly (that warm feeling you get in your mid-drction isn't always nice) or springs a leak. Others use the "drain sponges as I did but got tired of then and of pulling the hair on my chest. Also ensure your meals are very thin and runny (lots of water or other liquid). This will 1) guarantee the fluids needed for hydration and 2) will prevent blow back if you have to push too hard to get the mixture to flow. It does make a mess in the kitchen sink whenever you are forcing thicker fluids and the syringe and tube somehow uncouple snd you spray food everywhere.

Your grandchildern will want to see how you do it and then it will become boring to them Some adults are a bit more uncomfortablr but I just joke about it and that helps put them at ease. The wife just took a few days to get used to seeing me with Tube Sr. and T`ube Jr. but now she actually doesn't seem to notice it.

Let me know if you have any problems, questions or conceerns.

Love ya Bro,

Denny

A new way to swallow
Hondo, Thoughts are prayers are with you as you get over this "bump" and begin therapy...my only tip is to listen carefully, do what they ask you to do ( even tho some of the exercises seem silly ) and don't give up. It took a while for them to discover that when I tuck my chin while swallowing ( what I was taught ) I aspirate....not tucking and I've done fine for the last 4 months. I still do all my exercises every day, want to be as strong as I can be

New PEG
Hi Hondo,

I am sorry about the pneumonia, but good luck with the PEG tube. Now, you can over eat if you want (no swallowing pain). Well maybe not over eat, but over inject.

Good luck from here forward, blessing coming your way.

Matt