Re: Dehydration - tube feeding

May 12, 2004

a,

Sorry you are having so much trouble. Hope the g-tube will help get

you straightened out. I've had my j-tube almost a year now and it

has helped stabilize some symptoms, though not others. At least I

have not been in ER or the hospital since getting the tube, so that

is real progress. The surgery was difficult (jejunostomy is major

surgery) and I do have some permanent problems from the surgery and

the general anesthesia. However, if I had to do it all over again, I

would probably make the same decision.

At the time I did not realize just how much care would be involved

in managing the tube feedings, and that I would not be able to do

this care myself. (My hubby does it all.) Ask lots of questions and

make sure you have a surgeon who is very experienced in these

procedures. I am in a Yahoo tube-feeding discussion group and they

have been a real life-line. They know more than the docs when it

comes to care and management of tube-feeding at home. We have

learned a lot through trial and error, but it would have been much

less stressful if the hospital had given us adequate training and

information. Unfortunately I was too sick at the time to be my own

advocate. Hope the transition home goes smoother for you. We did

have visiting nurses for 4 months and I had an attendant with me all

day for 2 months.

Hugs and prayers,

Barbara

> Thanks Alice! I was back in the ER for 2 more liters of fluid

last

> night, so my one doctor is ready for the G-tube right now! :-)

>

> Smiles,

> a

> On Tue, 11 May 2004 19:02:15 -0600 " Alice "

> writes:

> a,

>

> Cindy will be able to help you with this. I'm making sure she

reads it.

>

> Alice

> Dehydration

>

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