Total Parenteral Nutrition

AnneS
AnneS Member Posts: 27
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi All,

I was wondering how many of you are on TPN? And if so, how long for? How are you finding it? I am looking after my mum who has a sub-obstruction due to a large tumor compressing her transverse colon. She is finding it increasingly difficult to eat (feels full almost immediately). She will start TPN tomorrow (at home). She is on Cetuximab.

Anne

Comments

  • neon356
    neon356 Member Posts: 137 Member
    #2
    Hi Anne,
    I was on
    Hi Anne,
    I was on TPN on several occasions due to blockages. I was on it for a week to almost 2 weeks at a time. It's much better than any other method because it can provide almost total nutrition as well as lipids which plain IV's can't provide. While on TPN they would check my blood sugar levels a few times a day. On a few occasions they had to give me some insulin but for the most part my blood sugar was within normal limits.
    Carl
  • AnneS
    AnneS Member Posts: 27
    #3
    neon356 said:

    Hi Anne,
    I was on
    Hi Anne,
    I was on TPN on several occasions due to blockages. I was on it for a week to almost 2 weeks at a time. It's much better than any other method because it can provide almost total nutrition as well as lipids which plain IV's can't provide. While on TPN they would check my blood sugar levels a few times a day. On a few occasions they had to give me some insulin but for the most part my blood sugar was within normal limits.
    Carl

    Hi Carl!
    Thanks!!
    Did you
    Hi Carl!

    Thanks!!
    Did you eat anything in addition to the TPN? What about water, tea etc?

    Anne
  • neon356
    neon356 Member Posts: 137 Member
    #4
    AnneS said:

    Hi Carl!
    Thanks!!
    Did you
    Hi Carl!

    Thanks!!
    Did you eat anything in addition to the TPN? What about water, tea etc?

    Anne

    Anne,
    It was quite a
    Anne,
    It was quite a while ago but, as I recall, they wanted my gut totally at rest so all I had was an occasional bit of ice to chew on. The surprising thing was that you'd think that I would have felt hungry with nothing to eat but I never did. Also it was such a blessing not to be having the terrible pain, nausea, constant barfing, etc. that blockages can bring. It surprised me when you said that she was doing the TPN at home. That's fantastic! I had to be in the hospital for all my treatments and that was a real drag.
    Carl
  • pasgirl
    pasgirl Member Posts: 29
    #5
    full time tpn
    Hi Anne! My dad has been on tpn for a month now. We get all of the supplies from a company called apria. My dad has gained 9 pounds in the past two weeks from it. He has not been able to eat in over a month. This has saved his life. He also had a full feeling all of the time and his taste buds are gone! He still can't taste anything but since the second round of chemo he said that the full feeling is gone. Good luck to your mother and you.

    Lisa
  • AnneS
    AnneS Member Posts: 27
    #6
    pasgirl said:

    full time tpn
    Hi Anne! My dad has been on tpn for a month now. We get all of the supplies from a company called apria. My dad has gained 9 pounds in the past two weeks from it. He has not been able to eat in over a month. This has saved his life. He also had a full feeling all of the time and his taste buds are gone! He still can't taste anything but since the second round of chemo he said that the full feeling is gone. Good luck to your mother and you.

    Lisa

    Thanks Lisa! That sounds
    Thanks Lisa! That sounds fab!! How old is your dad please?

    Also, do you change the TPN bags yourself or do you get nurses in to do this?? (I have had to change nurse teams as the one we had to do basic care was not qualified to handle TPN, and needle change). However, they charge an arm and a leg for these 'specific procedures', so I am thinking of takin a course (if I am allowed to) to do this myself. We are running so high in costs.... mind you the insurance should cover this, but it is a case of 'I have to pay' then they reimbourse.

    Is he on it 24/24 or 'just' for the night?

    Thanks heaps,

    Anne
  • AnneS
    AnneS Member Posts: 27
    #7
    neon356 said:

    Anne,
    It was quite a
    Anne,
    It was quite a while ago but, as I recall, they wanted my gut totally at rest so all I had was an occasional bit of ice to chew on. The surprising thing was that you'd think that I would have felt hungry with nothing to eat but I never did. Also it was such a blessing not to be having the terrible pain, nausea, constant barfing, etc. that blockages can bring. It surprised me when you said that she was doing the TPN at home. That's fantastic! I had to be in the hospital for all my treatments and that was a real drag.
    Carl

    We will start TPN at home
    We will start TPN at home tomorrow (I am collecting all the bags etc). Then in the future there is a 'TPN bus' that will bring it home for us.

    Yes, my mum also had all her treatments in hospital, but she just declines EVERY time she is admitted (because of the pain management), that she has to stay home whenever possible. Would be heaps easier to leave her in hospital or in a hospice (also just from a bill perspective as the tab is picked up directly by our insurance company), but NO WAY.

    Hugs
    Anne
  • pasgirl
    pasgirl Member Posts: 29
    #8
    Good Morning, Anne!
    Hi there! :) My dad has a feeding tube directly into his stomach. So he carries a backpack around with the bag and nutrients in it. Is this what your mom is having as well? At first it was a little overwhelming learning everything because the nurse came in right after surgery and started doing a residual that she shouldn't have done! He hadn't eaten a thing in forever so all he had was black stomach juices! But now that we have talked to a sane nurse it is all alot easier. My mom had to go back to work so I stay home with my dad and two girls. His bag only has to be changed once a day and he has to have nutrients added about every 8 hours. It's just remembering to flush his tube all the time and keeping the peg tube area clean and twisted so it doesn't grow to his skin. Feel free to write me anytime. It's refreshing to talk to other people going through the same thing! jandlglover@yahoo.com
  • pasgirl
    pasgirl Member Posts: 29
    #9
    How's your mom?
    Hi Anne! I was wondering how your mom is doing? Is she home yet and responding to the tpn well? I hope you are getting plenty of rest and taking care of you to!
  • AnneS
    AnneS Member Posts: 27
    #10
    pasgirl said:

    How's your mom?
    Hi Anne! I was wondering how your mom is doing? Is she home yet and responding to the tpn well? I hope you are getting plenty of rest and taking care of you to!

    Hi there Pasgirl,
    She is
    Hi there Pasgirl,

    She is back in hospital (this past week and a bit has just been a case of 'things gone wrong').

    At the moment she is in the emergency dept having a blood transfusion, but I'll be able to pick her up later and put her on her TPN (this is IV and goes in via her central vein cathether), the one your dad is on is called enteral:) My mum can unfortunately not use the enteral nutrition as she has a subobstruction.

    It has been a difficult week, and I am really hoping for some good days now. A bit of sleep wouldn't go amiss either:)

    How's your dad??

    Hugs

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