#67655 01-15-2008 08:42 PM | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 179 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 179 | Besides the obvious, any advice for Dad once it's in, that only someone that had one would understand? TIA  (Thanks in advance)
Dad: Age 65 Heavy smoker/drinker. Biopsy-No surgery. Cancer base of tongue/throat. "Invasive Squamous Carcinoma RRT" --Beginning 1/9/08: IMRT treatments (5X/wk),chemo pills (4/day) and Chemo IV (once/wk) PEG tube inserted 1/25/08. Treatments ended 2/26/08
JUNE 30, 2008 Officially CANCER FREE!!!
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 |
Do the feedings slowly, and sit up for at least 30 minutes after the feeding. There are 3 ways you can use the PEG. But, encourage him to still try to eat through this whole ordeal.
1. by pushing the liquid in with a syringe
2. by letting it drip, I think that one is called bolous feeding
3. overnight with a feeding machine (thats what I use)
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Also make sure it's flushed out before and after every feed, and make sure to measure the amount of water he takes during a day,
oh and don't use water that is to cold!! That can be a bit of a shock to the stomach.
Sunshine.. love and hugs
Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
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Joined: May 2007 Posts: 622 Likes: 1 | Hi LD
Watch the area around the tube, it is normal for some "nasty stuff" or seepage to build up, keep it clean.
If it gets too uncomfortable, have it checked to see if it may be too tight.
I used the gravity method for mine, popped the syringe in the end and let the liquid flow in naturally. Some have trouble with this, I did not, even at 9 cans a day, plus water.
18 YEAR SURVIVOR
SCC Tongue (T3N0M0) diag 06/2006.
No evidence of disease 2010
Another PET 12-2014 pre-HBO, still N.E.D.
�Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. It matters that you don't just give up.�
Stephen Hawking | | | | | Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,019 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,019 | The gravity method worked best for me too. Pushing food in with the syringe is likely to make him feel more nauseated.
SCC(T2N0M0) part.glossectomy & neck dissect 2/9/05 & 2/25/05.33 IMRT(66 Gy),2 Cisplatin ended 06/03/05.Stage I breast cancer treated 2/05-11/05.Surgery to remove esophageal stricture 07/06, still having dilatations to keep esophagus open.Dysphagia. "When you're going through hell, keep going"
| | | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | And make certain he keeps swallowing whether he uses the PEG or not. If he doesn't, he will lose the ability to swallow. Those muscles are in the 'use it or lose it category'. Try to take as much as possible orally, like water or other drinks once he starts using the peg.
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 179 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 179 | Dad's throat was so swollen, they couldn't get the tube down his throat, so they rescheduled for Thursday and will go in through the stomach for the PEG. Poor guy. 
Dad: Age 65 Heavy smoker/drinker. Biopsy-No surgery. Cancer base of tongue/throat. "Invasive Squamous Carcinoma RRT" --Beginning 1/9/08: IMRT treatments (5X/wk),chemo pills (4/day) and Chemo IV (once/wk) PEG tube inserted 1/25/08. Treatments ended 2/26/08
JUNE 30, 2008 Officially CANCER FREE!!!
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | I'm on my second tube, first one in 2003 for 9 months and this current one I've had for 3 months. Sometimes I think to much is made of having a PEG tube, although I KNOW there are a few that have had issues with them. Point being, most don't have trouble. I use the bolus method, put the syringe in the end of my tube and fill the syringe up, letting it flow in how fast I want it to. Lift the syringe higher for it to go faster, keep it lower to slow it down. I confess that I have never flushed it with water before or after a feeding, but I do put some water down my tube while I'm "eating". I put 7 cans a day in now and sometimes I put one can in in 2-3 minutes. It takes a little time to get past the initial queasy stomach from tube feeding, so go slow at first. Let your father decide how he wants to do it, the bolus method gives him the control. I never, ever use teh plunger to put anything in my tube, it is uncomfortable and adds air to the stomach.
Just don't look at the tube as some horribly complicated issue. It doesn't have to be. I forget I have mine unless I'm using it.
Good luck,
Minnie
SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 294 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 294 | This might be an obvious but I found out the hard way by accident. Before uncapping the tube for feeding, make sure he coughs ahead of time if he feels any sensation at all of needing to cough. He wants to make sure he doesn't cough with it uncapped by any means. It makes quite a mess!
Bill D.
Dx 4/27/06, SCC, BOT, Stage III/IV, Tx 5/25/06 through 7/12/06 - 33 IMRT and 4 chemo, radical right side neck dissection 9/20/06.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Adding to what Bill said about the coughing............also make sure he's not going to be laughing while he's eating. I was watching a movie with the girls and one part just cracked me up. I was in the process of "eating" and me laughing so hard shot the food out of the tube and all over the place. Of course that made me laugh harder and it just was downhill from there!
Minnie
SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.
| | | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 622 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 622 Likes: 1 | [quote=William Dozier]This might be an obvious but I found out the hard way by accident. He wants to make sure he doesn't cough with it uncapped by any means. It makes quite a mess! [/quote] I learned to pinch the tube REAL quick if I felt a cough or worse a sneeze coming on
18 YEAR SURVIVOR
SCC Tongue (T3N0M0) diag 06/2006.
No evidence of disease 2010
Another PET 12-2014 pre-HBO, still N.E.D.
�Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. It matters that you don't just give up.�
Stephen Hawking | | |
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