Help! Another problem?

louiethetzu
louiethetzu Member Posts: 17
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Fiance has peg tube four months now and it has been going well but since this morning whenever I am flushing the tube the flow of water going down is very slow (unusally slow). A 60ml syringe of water usually takes like 15 seconds to go down and as of today a syringe of water takes maybe 2 mins.....is this normal???? ALSO, the peg tube has gotton really loose from his stomache (looks like its about to fall out of his stomache). Took a look at it and the skin around it is clean, no pain, no fever, no diarrhea or vomitting...just the slow flow of water and loose peg. 

We are planning to go see his doctor tomorrow but he is really pissed, he's still hooked up to the 5-FU and he is already dealing with its side effects, now this....did this happen to anyone? What did the doctors do? Is it another complication and hospital admittance? 

His doctor has never initiated any follow up with his peg tube, if we don't ask a question he doesn't talk about it or look at it....is this normal? And the daily care instructions that were given to us after surgery doesn't seem to be the same as information online. For example, I've read that he should wash the skin around the tube with soap and water daily while he's in the shower and rotate the tube, no one told us this, we were told to clean it with gauze, hydrogen peroxide and saline wound wash......is this enough???

Please any advice on what is happening or what is likely to happen tomorrow?

Comments

  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    #2
    Peg Tube

    Sounds like the peg tube could have something blocking it.  From time to time we put some Coke in it and close it off for a few minutes then open it and let it go thru and then flush with water.  It really helped to clear it out.  Loose could mean it is coming out and the doctor should be checking it.  A new one can be inserted in the doctor's office.  All of my husband's doctors would check his Peg tube each time he saw them.  As far as rotating the tube in the shower, my husband never does that.  He does clean it with guaze and peroxide once every other day and sometimes he will put an antibodic ointment around the opening.  He has had his Peg-tube for almost two years and never has had any problems with it.

    Sharon

  • louiethetzu
    louiethetzu Member Posts: 17
    #3
    Ladylacy said:

    Peg Tube

    Sounds like the peg tube could have something blocking it.  From time to time we put some Coke in it and close it off for a few minutes then open it and let it go thru and then flush with water.  It really helped to clear it out.  Loose could mean it is coming out and the doctor should be checking it.  A new one can be inserted in the doctor's office.  All of my husband's doctors would check his Peg tube each time he saw them.  As far as rotating the tube in the shower, my husband never does that.  He does clean it with guaze and peroxide once every other day and sometimes he will put an antibodic ointment around the opening.  He has had his Peg-tube for almost two years and never has had any problems with it.

    Sharon

    Thanks Sharon

    we'll head to the doc and replace it, hopefully it goes smoothly. Since getting his peg tube the end of July his doctor has only looked at it once when I told him the skin around it was red (way back in August) and never again...sometimes I think he even forgets that his patient has a peg tube but we've never had anything to worry about until now. Well at least he's cleaning it like your husband but we've never been given an antibiotic ointment, I'm going to ask for some today. 

    God Bless

     

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
    I used Coke, too...

    to flush it out, and get the gunk adhering to the sides (inside) the tube.....crap just kind of builds up even tho he's flushing it.  I rotated mine everyday.....but since I didn't shower everyday during treatment, I used the saline/hydrogen peroxide mix to clean around it.  When I used Coke, I'd fill the tube, let it sit a minute, then do it again.....like usually 3 times.  I'd burp Coke :)....which actually had a taste so I like it.  Don't panic yet, Coke is amazing.  As for how loose it seems, has he lost a lot of weight?  When I first got the tube, the bumper was against my skin....by the end of 2 months it was about an inch away.  If he can tug on it, and it ain't coming out, it's probably weight loss that has changed how far the bumper is away from his tum.

    p

  • louiethetzu
    louiethetzu Member Posts: 17
    #5
    phrannie51 said:

    I used Coke, too...

    to flush it out, and get the gunk adhering to the sides (inside) the tube.....crap just kind of builds up even tho he's flushing it.  I rotated mine everyday.....but since I didn't shower everyday during treatment, I used the saline/hydrogen peroxide mix to clean around it.  When I used Coke, I'd fill the tube, let it sit a minute, then do it again.....like usually 3 times.  I'd burp Coke :)....which actually had a taste so I like it.  Don't panic yet, Coke is amazing.  As for how loose it seems, has he lost a lot of weight?  When I first got the tube, the bumper was against my skin....by the end of 2 months it was about an inch away.  If he can tug on it, and it ain't coming out, it's probably weight loss that has changed how far the bumper is away from his tum.

    p

    Thanks Phrannie51

    I'm going to try the coke, hopefully it works. With the loose tube, he didn't lose weight he gained but I just looked at the stoma and it is a bit swollen so now we are wondering if its the swelling pushing the tube out and there is a lot of leakage. We are heading to the doctor tomorrow.....hopefully it is not a serious problem.

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