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#148068 04-10-2012 05:12 PM
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Ive had my feeding tube in since early March. Its coming out Thursday (Hallelujah!!!) But I have a problem. I was giving myself some crushed up vitamins that are too big for me to swallow through the tube tonight. When I went to flush with water afterward I couldn't get my plunger to move(wouldn't plunge so to speak) I noticed that the top to the white decompression valve thing is missing.I have no idea where it could have gone. Its not a big deal as it is coming out Thursday and I'm eating on my own ok. I'm just wondering if this would harm me in any way.Any thoughts?


4 cancerous tumors stage4 Surgery 10/26/2010 Radiation 2x a day for 4 weeks (started Dec 13th 2010)
Reccurance discovered Nov 2011. Tumor behind left jaw. Erbitux, Taxol and Paraplatin for 6 wk. Surgery scheduled for Feb
50 year old woman smoked for 30 years quit 3 years ago light drinker HPV +16
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What kind of feeding tube do you have? A PEG tube where it goes right into your stomach? Or is it a J-G tube where it has a port for a tube that goes into your intestines and a smaller tube inside of that which is into your stomach? What exactly is missing from your tube?

When giving crushed medications, dissolve them in water and be extra careful that there arent any chunks of medicine that could get stuck. This info is for anyone reading this thread who needs to take meds this way.


Christine
SCC 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 smile
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Its a PEG and its the decompression vent the top popped off and I cant find it.


4 cancerous tumors stage4 Surgery 10/26/2010 Radiation 2x a day for 4 weeks (started Dec 13th 2010)
Reccurance discovered Nov 2011. Tumor behind left jaw. Erbitux, Taxol and Paraplatin for 6 wk. Surgery scheduled for Feb
50 year old woman smoked for 30 years quit 3 years ago light drinker HPV +16
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,082
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Plantgirl

Congratulations on getting your feeding tube out tomorrow!
If it were not a sin, I would envy you.
Relax today. The only valve a regular PEG tube has is the one that takes the water to fill up the balloon that holds it in. The actual tube itself goes directly to the stomach with no valves in between. The worse that can happen is that the valve leaks water and your PEG would fall out on its own before the doctors pull it out.
Unless you mean the closure to the end of your tube. That needs to be capped or else the tube clamped. Bottom line:
If nothing is coming out of your stomach thru the tube, you are fine.

I never heard of a decompression valve. Buttons, or low profile G tubes, have two valves. The same water valve as a PEG plus an anti-reflux valve that prevents the stomach contents from coming back out once the feeding extension is unhooked. That anti reflux valve also has a plastic cap but it is just extra insurance to keep debris out.

Christine is right about crushing medicine well. Enjoy your tube free life

Charm


Last edited by Charm2017; 04-11-2012 06:48 AM. Reason: typos

65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin

Passed away 4-29-13
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Posts: 74
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http://oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/images/feeding-tube.jpg

Heres a pic. Its the one on the far right with the little bump on top. That bump is whats missing. Sorry for the confusion.


4 cancerous tumors stage4 Surgery 10/26/2010 Radiation 2x a day for 4 weeks (started Dec 13th 2010)
Reccurance discovered Nov 2011. Tumor behind left jaw. Erbitux, Taxol and Paraplatin for 6 wk. Surgery scheduled for Feb
50 year old woman smoked for 30 years quit 3 years ago light drinker HPV +16
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 10,507
Likes: 6
Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services
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I would cover it tightly with a piece of tape so nothing can seep out. It almost looks like a J-G tube except there isnt that extra skinny longer tube.

Congrats on being able to be tube free!!!!! Its a great feeling!!!!


Christine
SCC 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 smile
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 74
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 74
Thanks! I cant wait until tomorrow. I really am sick ofit..have had nothing but trouble with the darn thing from infections to having one of the covers come undone during the night and leaking stomach fluids all over me. (Sorry for that mental image). Anyway I will be happy to be rid of it. How long does it take for the opening to heal?


4 cancerous tumors stage4 Surgery 10/26/2010 Radiation 2x a day for 4 weeks (started Dec 13th 2010)
Reccurance discovered Nov 2011. Tumor behind left jaw. Erbitux, Taxol and Paraplatin for 6 wk. Surgery scheduled for Feb
50 year old woman smoked for 30 years quit 3 years ago light drinker HPV +16
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,260
Likes: 3
"OCF Canuck"
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GOOD luck.. having it removed is easy! and you'll be free! hugs


Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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Plant girl

Yep, a picture is worth a thousand words. The "one on the right with the little bump" is the valve used to inflate the balloon to hold in your tube. It does not connect to your stomach but only to the balloon. So the only danger is that it could be damaged or have leaked and your tube is just hanging in your stomach. And that's not much of danger since all that would happen is your tube would come out a day early.

I wish I could tell you from experience how fast the hole would completely heal, but all I can share is that the first time my tube fell out due to a broken valve like yours, the hole had narrowed so much in one hour that they had difficulty putting a replacement in. But luckily for you, OCF has plenty of posters who had temporary PEGS so they would know . I know it took my tracheotomy stoma about two months to heal but it was so much bigger.
Charm


65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin

Passed away 4-29-13
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 74
Supporting Member (50+ posts)
OP Offline
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 74
[b][/b]Thanks Charm. I know what you mean about the trach stoma. Mines been out for two months and its still not fully closed.

Last edited by plantgirl; 04-11-2012 12:58 PM.

4 cancerous tumors stage4 Surgery 10/26/2010 Radiation 2x a day for 4 weeks (started Dec 13th 2010)
Reccurance discovered Nov 2011. Tumor behind left jaw. Erbitux, Taxol and Paraplatin for 6 wk. Surgery scheduled for Feb
50 year old woman smoked for 30 years quit 3 years ago light drinker HPV +16
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