Feeding Tube

[bandittexas]

I am very worried about my mother-in-law. She has been having difficulty swallowing for some time. Although she has been given the list of foods to avoid. She continues to eat them, and stuggles during most meals. Is having trouble with constipation because she has difficulty with liquids. She drinks Chocolate milk mostly, They have recipes for smoothies but have not used them. Coughing and sometimes choking. She has also lost weight. At her last Dr.s appt they suggested a feeding tube and did not tell the family. My father-in-law has also read the info but still no diet changes. I am very worried about her nutrition, Choking, weight loss. I know the tube is a scary thought but how can We convince them to consider it. I feel as though they are still in denial about the progression of the disease and think by not changing the diet means the ALS is not advancing. Does anyone have any advice?

[anne]

I am sorry to hear about your mother-in- law's situtation. My mom went from eating soft foods to pureeing all of her food to having a feeding tube. At first she would not entertain the idea but it got to the point where food was too difficult to swallow and the food would also fall out of her mouth due to the lip muscles being weak. The stress of her choking was difficult to handle. She decided on her own to have the feeding tube. The procedure took about 10 minutes. She remained in hospital for 3 days and then was sent home and managing well. She managed to gain the weight that she had lost back. She can no longer swallowing anything by mouth. It is a personal decision but a good decision for my mom. Good Luck. Anne

[bandittexas]

Anne, thank-you for sharing your story. I guess I need to be patient and she will come to the conclusion on her own like your Mom did.

Take care
thanks again

[midwestgirl]

Hi Bandittexas! My story is almost identical to Anne's. Mom resisted each step - from regular to soft food, then from soft to pureed, and finally deciding on the feeding tube. She realized on her own that it was just getting harder and more frustrating to eat. We added supplements to her diet when she started on soft food, (she had lost about 15 lb, and that stabilized the weight loss) which, by the way, she loved. I'm not sure if it was the taste, or just the fact it was easier to eat. I did get some information on feeding tubes and how almost everyone was really happy they had went ahead and had one placed, and gave it to her to read, and just think about. I let her know I thought it was a good idea, but the decision was hers. Mom also drank a lot of chocolate milk, as well as thickened tomato juice. They were both easier to swallow.

My mom only had her feeding tube placed April 2 of this year, and she says that she does miss not eating any food. I can only imagine how awful that is. However, some people with a feeding tube can still eat food - it just depends on how early they get the feeding tube and how well they can still swallow.

Be patient - it is a lot to ask of someone.