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Health & Fitness

Tube Feeding Keeping my Head Above Water

Missing home cooked meals and dining out! Struggling to keep my strength up.

I have been extremely ill the past seven weeks and unable to swallow any food or liquids. 

I had a feeding tube surgically inserted about four weeks ago, and all of my nutrition and fluids are being sent to my body by this means. The tube goes in my abdomen just above my navel and into my small intestine.

Each evening at 7 p.m. I start up a mixture of 1,200 ml of formula. The pump runs for 12 hours and I finish at approx. 7 a.m. each morning. This gets me 1,500 calories per day as kind of a minumum to keep my head above water.  I disconnect and flush the line with water when finished "eating."

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I have vomiting everyday usually about six to eight times per day. I believe it's from a combination of reasons: pain, ulcers, and no food in my stomach with medications. I have to take pain medication every four hours 24-7. It is taking these ulcers forever to heal.

It has been four weeks already and I feel little improvement. The bad part about all this is I am just trying to get healthy enough to start more chemotherapy, which will make me really sick again. 

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My days have been pretty boring lately. I spend most of the day trying to feel better and napping. I feel like I am wasting so many days by sleeping and resting, however, I don't feel up to doing much else. 

I am hoping and praying for some relief and improvement soon! 

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