PEG TUBE CLEANING

My PEG is one of my best buds, as it is a permanent (more or less (a lot more than less) fixture in my abdomen (invokes comments like, nice abs, Awesome Tube!), due to the collateral damage that was done to my esophagus during rad treatment (no friend of the body, as my doc says). The radiation sealed the entrance to my esophagus, and all of the muscles involved in the swallowing process are pretty well fibrosed (you can bounce a ball off of my neck). Thus, I'm into tube care for the long term. One of my biggest concerns over the years has been keeping the inside free of the strange growths which invarriably move in, so that I can go as long as possible between tube replacements (not much fun). I have, in the past, looked on the web for PEG cleaning brushes, but was never able to find a source; probably due to my lack of search skills. Until the last couple of months, I used foot long pipe cleaners, found at craft stores, which were semi-effective. Using the pipe cleaners resulted in it taking longer for the growths to establish thriving colonies at an intolorable level. In September, I stumbled upon a tube brush supply website called MEL (Medical Engineering Laboratory), and ordered a package of their brushes. I must say that I am ecstatic that, at last, I now have the just right brush (Salinas PEG Brush) that does a great job of cleaning my tube! I am shooting for 2 years or longger until I have to have the next tube replacement. I am putting this out there in case anyone else may have similar concerns about inner tube cleanliness (a clean tube is a happy tube), it's worth checking into; the brush is working for me. Here's wishing clean tubes for all of my fellow tubers...............*

PATRICK