Christine & Kathy

I did not mean to alarm you because the balloon bursting is part of my new normal. Whenever it happens, I can still use the tube or button, but I just have to use bandaids and tape to hold it. That's all the balloon does, hold the tube/button in your stomach. I can still get all my Jevity and water and Vitamix down so I'm getting plenty of hydration and nutrition.
In reviewing all the emails I've sent to the hospital about this, the first year I did panic and insist it was an emergency, yet they still always made me wait about a week no matter who I called, including the patient advocate, so I just quit. The only exception they ever made was when my tube fell entirely out and I was unable to get it back in - they did see me that day reluctantly because I just showed up and made a major fuss that had Security involved before I calmed down. Funny, I did complain this last visit about having to wait a week every time, so they gave me a replacement long one size fits all tube although they forgot to give me the 6 ml luer slip syringe needed to inflate the balloon so I'd have to tape that in anyway also.
It's not as bad as some poor posters in the Oley Inspire forum or the blenderized diet forum whose balloons burst in two weeks three times in a row and the extra $200 co pay each time really hit them hard. I will probably switch the brand myself anyway if they don't once my wife is comfortable changing them for me.
I can't wait to become independent of them.
Charm