Re: swallowing emergency-----Need your input!!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone, Al got choked eating a piece of bacon Sunday morn. I could not

get it loose. I called 911,because he was near unconscious and not breathing.

Very scary, anyway the medics were there in record time and went to work on

him, had to use a vent tube. He is now in ICU at the VA hosp. They did remove

the vent tube yesterday, still on a little oxygen. Planning a swallowing test

today, also has a stomach tube for meds at this time. I think they are going

to give him pureed food today. I know some of you have already gone thru

this, my problem is that Al says he will not have a permeant feeding tube. So

I need to know more about the PEG. Good and bad points.Sorry this is so long,

but I am pretty stressed right now. I am off to the hospital. Check back

later. Thanks, Pat in OKC

[Guest guest]

Pat,

The PEG is a permanent feeding tube, which goes into the stomach near the navel.

Charlotte has had one since 1998 and it no longer bothers her. It did bother

her

before she got one, but the alternative of monthly UTI's was not nice either.

The biggest pain is that it is right at the pants waist line. You must be care

not to get it caught or it can pull out. Replacement is easy if they replace it

within 12 hours of when it pulls out, they just push it back thorugh the same

hole. I think the replacements are actually called gastric tubes, but I am not

exactly sure on this. The original was much longer (about 2 feet) and the later

ones only stick out of the skinn about 3 inches. We use an extension tube to

make it easier to get food and liguids in.

For the caregiver, it makes giving liquids easy. It does require daily cleaning

of the site. Once it heals, it does not need a dressing, but Charlotte likes to

have the dressing anyway, so I put it on. It does help to put a gauze pad or

two

between the flange on the tube and the skin to prevent pressure sores around the

tube flange.

Good points:

Easy to give liquids, most medicines and liquid food supplements

If you give him enough liquids through the tube, he will not need to drink more

than a sip once in a while.

Don't have to fight with him over drinking enough

Bad points:

Cleaning daily

Inconvenient with pants (location)

Where to put it, when you are not using it. (women do not have hair on their

chest, so I tape it to Charlotte's chest). If I taped it to my chest - Ouch!

every three hours.

Some of you ladies that sew, could make shoulder holsters for PEG tubes )

Charlotte's bra holds it quite well also when she wears one, but she tends to

get

a rash from bras anymore.

Take care, Bill and Charlotte

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Patticakeok@... wrote:

> Hi Everyone, Al got choked eating a piece of bacon Sunday morn. I could not

> get it loose. I called 911,because he was near unconscious and not breathing.

> Very scary, anyway the medics were there in record time and went to work on

> him, had to use a vent tube. He is now in ICU at the VA hosp. They did remove

> the vent tube yesterday, still on a little oxygen. Planning a swallowing test

> today, also has a stomach tube for meds at this time. I think they are going

> to give him pureed food today. I know some of you have already gone thru

> this, my problem is that Al says he will not have a permeant feeding tube. So

> I need to know more about the PEG. Good and bad points.Sorry this is so long,

> but I am pretty stressed right now. I am off to the hospital. Check back

> later. Thanks, Pat in OKC

>

>