I just looked up some calorie info. I am shocked at how many calories are in my super shake that I drink daily sometimes twice a day. One cup of peanut butter has 1520 calories and each cup of chocolate ice cream is 350. My guess of 1000 calories is way off. That shake is closer to 2700-3000 calories. Its amazing I havent gained my weight back drinking that every day, guess Im still healing.

Like I said I was 16 months post Tx before I started gaining back the weight I lost.

David, it's buried in another thread so you might not have seen it, but I asked my Option Care (owned now by Walgreens) dietitian to get VHC because I am currently only able to tolerate slow feeding so I wanted to get lots of calories in each can consumed -- She reported that since VHC couldn't be paid for in the plan, but substituted 'Nutren 2.0", also made by Nestle, which has 500 calories per 250ml can in yummy Vanilla. VHC is 2.25, BTW, with 560 cal/can.

http://www.activeforever.com/showpr...n-20-24-per-case&source=positiontech

I don't know why VHC isn't on their list, unless it is not classed for tube feeding; the Nutren is tube or drink.

Pete-

I was told by my dietician, when I was figuring out what formula to use, that the VHC couldn't be used through a feeding pump unless you added water to it because it was too thick and would end up getting clogged and stuff. Don't know if this is actually the case but I took her word for it and went with the 2Cal!

Pete, I use 2cal made by Ross also. Are you using a feeding pump? It takes a long time to do a feeding that way. But thats how I got thru treatment and recovery. You can start it slowly at 40ml per hr and go up from there. Also watering down your formula by about 1/2 can makes it easier to tolerate.

I just used the VHC through my PEG. Due to some sort of snafu, the re-order of Jevity I placed on Monday didn't go through (grrrr!!) so I'm going to run out soon, so I'm going to mix in the VHC. I added 8 ozs. of soy milk, which also adds 100 cals., and it went right in, no problem. I'm not on a pump, if it matters.

Free is always better and loosing 60 cals a can isn't a big deal.

My electric feeding pump (Kangaroo Control) can be set from 1 to 500 ml/hr; 500 would be two cans/hr @ 250 ml/can. Certainly, I can hand pump faster than that; even gravity flow faster, but I have to concentrate on what I am doing -- With the pump, I can read, watch TV or even sleep while the flow keeps happening -- Given my left wrist is a little torn up, the pump is right for me.

When I had a big diameter PEG with my radiation, I was able to gravity feed the can into the syringe and occasionally pump it by hand if I was in a hurry. With this smaller tube, gravity doesn't work except occasionally for plain water; pumping at the same rate as before, about four-five syringe-strokes to the can, perhaps a little slower because more effort, was not acceptable to my gut -- I would get incredible rumbling quickly followed by throne time.

I suspect Medicare won't pay for the VHC 2.25 cal/ml because it isn't pumpable (I'd bet it would have with my old "big pipe" PEG), so it looks like the 2.0 cl/ml stuf is a good compromise (tube or drink).

I tried tasting either the Novartis Fibersource HN 1.2 cal/ml or the Ross-Abbott Osmolite 1.2 cal/ml and it was definitely not intended for drinking. BTW, Ensure, Boost and the Safeway generic are all made by Abbott.

When I first tried the food pump, I set it on 300 ml/hr, which was slightly slower than syringe pumping, but had the same problems. The dietitian said to cut it back to 100 ml/hr, which was much slower than it had ever been, but the problems went away. I have now slowly moved up to 150 ml/hr and all is still well. Now I am using the Nestle Nutren 2.0 cal/ml to get more total calories per can.

David is giving financial advice from the heart when he says "Free is always better..." <grinz> He's still busy, however, looking for stray bank accounts and auto registrations!

I was surprised I could find no stores that carried the Carnation VHC... They all told me medical supply places ...

So I called there and they said they have it and that my medical insurance will pay for it if doc faxed in a script for it ... so I called my regular MD and she said no problem and faxed it in.

I think though I will check with like Rite Aid or Walgreens and see if they can special order it for me, because they charge $70 for 24 cans at medical supply and that seems unreal and is ripping off the insurance co, when at the company's own website (carnation) it is only $50 to order online and have delivered free....


I also noted AMAZON.com carries it so can have it shipped direct and it is $31 for 24 cans there.... plus shipping.


I got some soup down today HORRAY! I strained some cream of chicken and had no problem with it.. felt so nice getting something warm down.

Also fudgecicles and those freezie pops my daughter loves ... I am grabbing anything I think I can get down LOL ... but feel I have reached a turning point last couple days where I am able to get more down for some calories ...

I am hoping the prosthetic guy can get a better fit on Monday so I can try a bit more adventurous eating... Sucks feeling the hunger but not feeling the ability to do it. (I am sure you can relate). So far it just has not been a good fit for eating or drinking and within 2 days of having it adjusted it needs redone ... He says I am healing mega faster than he is used to... he cannot believe it. While this is good, it is a pain for making this thing work LOL.


I told my daughter that I will save the family a ton of money through this because I have always been one who loved to go out for dinner ... I love food ... well, now I can settle for a 100/$3.99 freezie pop and fix them their 4 meals/$15 dinner and everyone is happy LOL ...

Another good note: I have only had to take probably 3 pain pills all this past week, other than the one i take every night at bedtime to ensure good sleep ... trying not to take them unless very necessary.


OH QUESTION for you pros out there
I can tell my jaw is tightening up and not opening as far or as easy as prior. I am trying to carefully work it just by doing the open close motions and then putting fingers in between and trying to spread my fingers to increase gap .... Those who have had this happen what have you used to exercise it and keep it from losing motion and to regain the part that is lost? I am not sure if having TMJ and arthritis prior is making it worse or not but I know I don't want to lose any more movement in it because already the prosthetic is a bit hard to get thru the gap ... so I am determined to fix this.

Thanks all Have a wonderful day!

David posted in one of the threads that he has his local Walgreens order the VHC for him at about one-half the price you mentioned -- I don't know if they charge shipping when they do it that way -- That stuf is all *heavy*!!