Oh Charm, please take it easy on the spirits!!!!! Im sure Andy is on meds that wouldnt react nicely with alchol.

Charm, u make me laugh!! if u can tolerate the spirits...i say go for it, and do one more for andy!!

thank u all for ur advise! i guess i was just freaking a little. i am better now. but the thought that i could actually cause him more pain when im trying to help was scary.

today is the day...wish me luck!

Christine

Oh, but the pain meds do in fact react very nicely with alcohol. Unlike the weight loss, I did tell my doctors that I would continue to take pain medications and alcohol - as that way I needed far less opiates and only 50 mcg fentanyl patches or 20 mg oxycodone. Of course I am now down to one little Percocet a night so not really an issue.
I appreciate your concern though. I wanted to comment on your OCF blog, but instead will just say it here. It is so unfair the hand that you have been dealt.
Charm

I got my PEG Christmas Eve, and have had about 5 feedings (all delivered by nurse on duty). Most of the nurses seem to prefer filling the syringe, and letting it drip on its own into my stomach. Only one used the "push" method.

If they have taught you how to check for residual content, do it. It helps you to know if there is too much currently in the stomach to do a comfortable feeding. I got a feeding after I had eaten, and it made me ill. I also had a nurse put some air in my line to clear it, because I'd said it was nasty looking. she wanted to help me, but the air gave me gas.


Keep up the good work. soon you'll be giving folkslike mehelpful hints.

i will be asking about checking for residual content. never heard of that.

i hate to hear you got your PEG on Christmas Eve...hope you are feeling better. i am doing the fill and let drip...so far so good. he is still eating soft foods so right now, it is just to keep his nutrition up.

weigh in is tomorrow...we will see how it worked. i know some weight loss is normal, but lets hope its not 9 lbs again.

How do you check for residual content?

To check residual, push plunger in syringe, insert in tube and pull. Right now, nurses don't seemto agree on what's too much. One says full syringe, another says multiples, one says ask the nutritionist. I have a booklet, but the spaces listing acceptable residual amount weren't filled out. Booklet does say a jejunostomy tube should have little or no residual,so may not be necessary to check it. booklet also tells you to check for residual, but doesn't say how ("ask your healthcare professional . . "). Nurse did tellme to be sure to push residual back in, because it contains needed electrolytes.

I know that for my husband, the content of the residual was of importance. Too many solids meant that he was getting too much. I think that we usually pulled out about half a syringe full.