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Living on a feeding tube is not easy and not fun. Fortunately I do have the option of using a feeding tube to keep me alive since I can't eat. About fifteen years ago, home health care was not as common as it is now and j-tubes were virtually unheard of. If I did not have the choice of using a feeding tube at home, I would have to spend months or even years in the hospital to keep me alive. I have in a j-tube which is a feeding tube which goes directly into the jejunum, a part of the small intestines. I do not have a g-tube, which is a more common type of tube which feeds directly into the stomach. My j-tube is on my left side, right at the top of my intestines. It is approximately 8" long and clear with an orange tip. There is a bumper on the outside to keep it from being sucked into my intestines. Right after the surgery, it was stitched in place, but now the stitches have come out and I have to hold it in with tegaderm. The circumference of the tube is very small and about 1/8 of an inch. I have also had an NJ tube placed in the past for feedings as well. This is a tube that goes down your nose, through the stomach, and into the intestines. It is difficult to have it placed, and to live with a tube in your nose, but fortunately mine was only temporary. Please feel free to read through the next few pages if you are interested in learning about what my life on a feeding tube is like. For images of my NJ tube, j-tube, the preparation for my surgery, after the surgery, and hooking up, please check out several pages in my photo album. As of July, 2001 I have been relying more heavily on TPN through a PICC line to keep me alive. I was hospitalized for a week in July where they slowed my tube feeding rate down dramatically after discovering that I have Ileus, some small bowel paralysis (permanent), and occasional bowel obstructions. I had my third PICC line placed after being soley on tube feeds for a year and off of TPN for a year. I am now on TPN for 24 hours a night as my only source of nutrition. However, this info should be still useful for many of you, so I am leaving it up.
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