I had my feeding tube put in yesterday. The procedure went better than expected, but I was in a lot of pain last night, trying to sleep. Have others noticed that it's easier to sleep elevated against pillows rather than on the back? Can one sleep normally after a few weeks? Will I ever get used to it? -Michelle

Michelle

Trust me, you do not want to "get used" to a feeding tube. However you can and will learn to live with one for what should be a relatively short time. YES, sleeping while propped up with pillows does indeed work for me and my feeding tube.
I sleep the "sleep of the just" now ( I used to say sleep like a baby until I became a parent and my baby woke up several times during the night and cried).
The pain should subside very quickly. If it does not, don't be bashful about going back to the doctors. Sometimes the pigtail or balloon inside gets embedded in the stomach wall, or else they have the tube too tight. Lots of posts here on the daily hassles of a feeding tube. However the majority of OCF posters seem to sail right through with their PEGs so here's hoping you do too.
Charm

Hi Michelle. When John had his PEG put in he was in pain for a few days, it will get better. Better to have it and not need it then to have to interupt treatment to have it placed. John didn't start using his until around week 3 of treatment. He continued to drink fluids through treatment so he never lost the ability to swallow. He only had it in for 4 months but thank God he had it. Even with it in he lost 30 lbs. He was very reluctant to use it in the beginning and that is when he lost a lot of weight. Best wishes!

I've been on a feeding tube for two years and will never get off of it and yes you will get use to it. I can't speak to the pain as I went into an 11 hour surgery less than 24 hours after its insertion so who knows. If you continue to have pain call your doctor.

I had pain and nausea the first day or two after mine was placed. I really hated that thing, but was so glad I had it! I still use an elevated pillow to some extent whenI sleep. I was so glad when I had the thing removed, because by then I had been back to work for a month or so, and it sure limited what I could wear. I alwasys had to have pockets.

The first 24 hours of having the tube is the worst. The pain can last a couple days then you will feel better. Be careful not to do any heavy lifting. Nothing over 20 pounds. I sleep on my side. If you use the feeding pump overnight, make sure you are propped up on pillows. Also add a couple extra cans of water to the formula to help with your minimum 48 oz of water daily. Best wishes for a fast recovery!