peg tubes

[Guest guest]

My Husband, Ken, had a peg tube for almost 4 years. It was not place nearly

as low as Bill says Charlotte's is. Waist line garments were no problem as

it was above that. The last couple of years of his life he could not easily

be dressed because of indwelling catheter, peg tube, and bowel incontinence,

so I kept him in a hospital gown. He was unable to go outside any further

than our back screened in porch, so dressing was not an issue. I cut a hole

in his hospital gowns, right at the level of the feeding tube, and poked it

through his gowns for easy access.

One difference, from what Bill has said, was when his tube fell out, it was

9 hours before I could get a doctor to look at it, (because of waiting on an

ambulance, and waiting at the Emergency Room) and they could not replace it.

They told me it had to be replaced within an hour or the tract would be

swelling shut. Several doctors worked on it and tried to replace it - to no

avail. Then they scheduled time in surgery to replace it through the

esophagus, as it had originally been placed, only to find they could no

longer get it through the esophagus as there was a blockage between stomach

and throat. This was the ultimate cause of his death, as we could no longer

feed, hydrate or medicate him without it. He lived only 12 days.

Bernice/ wife and cg to Ken dec. 06/23/00