How many OZs were you guys able to put in your PEG at a time. I am miserable if I put more than 2 ozs at a time. I tried 4 ozs tonight and I feel terrible. It may not all be just that. It could be that I still gag when I talk at all, because of the uvula thing. It is miserable. UGH
Angelia do you have a feeding pump to deliver your feeds into your PEG? It can be set at different speeds and one usually starts at about 2 oz. per hour and increased each day until you reach your tolerance level. Feeds are usually tolerated better with this slow continuous delivery.
No pump, just syringes. Should I ask about a pump? How do you get a pump? I know they are looking at getting me a suction maching for all the mucous, but never mentioned a pump.
Angelia
A mid way point between the slow pump and fast syringe is a gravity feed bag. I have been using the gravity feed bag since February with no problems. I occasionally use a syringe when out and am trying to acclimate myself to that as it much faster than the gravity feed bag, which is much faster than the pump.
An 8 ounce can of Jevity 1.5 takes from 30 to 40 minutes in my gravity feed bag depending upon how new my Y extender tube is.
My insurance pays not only for Jevity and the syringes but also for the gravity feed bags and the Y extender tubes
So after much digression, here is my personalized answer to your question: I have always been putting 8 ounces into my PEG tube
Charm
I guess I could ask for a gravity feed bag. I have just been letting it for through the syringe using gravity and it doesn't take 5 minutes.
I put 2 cans of formula and 2 cans of water for a total of 1000 ml in a Kangaroo bag. It despenes in about 30 to 40 minutes. It all depends on what you can toleerate. My thinking was that I could drink a liter of German beer in 30 minutes so I should be able to handle the formula. I sometimes can't and my GERD acts up. BTW I use 2 cans of TwoCal HN for morning and noon, and 1 can of TwoCal plus 1 can of Jevity 1Cal with fiber for evening. The former is rather dense and slow and the latter can run a lot faster. You can adjust the speed with your tube clamp or the roll clamp on the bagg set up. A pump drives me crazy it is so slow.
[quote=walknlite] I have just been letting it for through the syringe using gravity and it doesn't take 5 minutes. [/quote]
Everybody is different, this is the method I used all the way thru and I was doing 4 cans of "formula" plus 8 oz of water or Gatorade for each "meal" 3 times a day.
So I guess to properly answer your question, whatever is comfortable for you, and if one way doesn't work well, that ask your docs about another alternative. The goal is still calories, calories, calories and the more Protein the better !
Kevin
Thanks everyone. You have all been very helpful.
Angelia,
I was a big guy and I could do only a can of jevity.
I had to have a "2 am: feeding every night so I could get enough in each day. I also needed Morphine at 2 am so it was dual purpose. Just give your self multiple 2oz feedings, whatever keeps you comphie!
Steve
Steve
Oh yeah, I remember those 2 am pain pill drills. Then I would also post on OCF making it a triple threat
Charm
Angelia I would expect you would ask your team about getting a pump, if they are talking about getting you a suction machine no doubt can get the pump as well. Perhaps your medical insurance would pay for the pump and the required supplies. When my husband was on the tube feeding we would run it at night while he slept making his days less restricted.
Charm, it was every 4 hours for two months. 6am,10,2, 6, 10, and 2am. I got pretty used to it. It was good though, kept me nice and comphie. And of course those wild opiate induced dreams!
It still amazes me what we all have been put through. but we are still kickin'
Steve