how long until you can eat again

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gooseberry

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After the PEG tube is put in, how long do you have to wait before you are allowed to eat regular food again? My husband is having his done tomorrow and no one seems to want to answer this question.
 
Gary had his put in in June. The procedure was done in the morning, and I think about mid-afternoon they let him eat. He ended up spending the night in the hospital, but wishes he had just gone home. It was sore for a few days, but healed well. His was recommended due to the loss of respiratory function, so he can still eat anything he wants, but doesn't want to drink liquids, so down the tube it goes. I also give him one, sometimes two cans of Jevity each day, as he doesn't eat enough calories.

Wishing you smooth sailing for the procedure tomorrow!
 
I'm thinking you can eat as soon as you feel up to it. I don't eat at all now but could have within a day or two if I'd wanted to try. My throat was tender for a couple days due to having extra tubes in during the procedure.
 
They had Chris on nothing for 4 hours post procedure, then water flush to check the peg.

A few hours later he had a peg feed and water flushes.

Then was eating again next morning.

You do want the stomach to settle after the procedure, but usually only overnight, especially if a peg feed can be given to check all that side is clear and working.
 
Thank you. Steve is having it done because of his declining breathing. He has been eating well with minimal weight loss the last couple of months so he was hopeful they would let him continue eating regular food. At clinic they did not do a swallow test so we thought, although we did not ask, that they were not worried about him aspirating food or.liquids. But, since then no one would answer the question directly.
 
Well no buttont ube. He got the regular feeding tube. Apparently this is common. They say he will have to come back in 4-6 weeks to have it changed out for a button tube. Wondering if it is worth it to do it? Any thoughts?
 
That's how they do it here - regular tube then change to button.

Our gastro was away when we went back for button to be placed so we agreed to have another do it. He was very rough, and we then had many weeks of constant issues with proud flesh growths, irritations etc and had to have it changed again. It did begin to settle down immediately.

Some people find they can cope really easily with taping the tube and others far prefer the button. You can work that out as you go.

Many, if not most people at least start by eating and using the peg as well, no reason you can't from the view of interfering with each other. It is definitely the aspiration risk that is the issue. Chris kept eating until he did have a serious aspiration (took 1.5 hours to clear the food that stuck) and developed pneumonia. So for 6 months he used both peg and kept eating, but he was barely taking any fluids by mouth, we quickly moved to using the peg for fluids.
 

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Steve ended up having dinner just a few hours after the procedure and a regular diet all day today. He has some discomfort but it is tolerable.
 
Joe had the peg and trach placed at the same time. He failed the swallowing test and went straight to being tube fed. He could eat soft food (called his doctor) for awhile. Then it became too difficult to swallow and almost choked a couple of times. He never lost any weight. He said he would be the first overweight person to pass away from ALS. Memories......

Debbie
 
that's great gooseberry. I'm sure every hospital and doctor are slightly different.

Chris had a lot of pain in the first week at the stoma site. Far more than they expected and in fact they did treat him like he was being a whiner. I knew that he had a high pain tolerance normally, but once the pain started to settle it was fast to go.

Most people only have discomfort and a bit of pain for 1 - 2 days.

They have you just flushing water through it now?
 
Yes it is just a water flush. Steve has to keep a weight log and we have to monitor his diet. If he loses any weight or eats less than 50% of any meal we have to supplement. They are trying to stay on top of it. We felt his weight wa spretty stable but he has been losing about a pound every 3 weeks. He eats a lot and a lot of it is high caloric energy dense food so I am surprised. But this will help. He wants to eat as long as he can so I will change the menu to accomodate as much as possible. :)
 
Well no buttont ube. He got the regular feeding tube. Apparently this is common. They say he will have to come back in 4-6 weeks to have it changed out for a button tube. Wondering if it is worth it to do it? Any thoughts?

The button tube requires putting an extension tube on each time you put any food or water down. A regular tube hangs out about 5 inches (the first tube may be a longer type). The choice is between convenience and vanity. Umm, too strong a word. Let's say "body image." A longer tube doesn't require taping or binding it down but may show under thin or snug shirts. It can be tugged on in the process of dressing but it would require a very, very strong jerk to pull it out unless the balloon is deflated as happens gradually with time. In that case the tube needed replacement anyway!

There is no rush to decide. You can change tube types at any time after those first few weeks and try both types over time.
 
Thanks Diane! No one has mentioned, at least that I can remember, the extension tube for feedings. That will be important as time goes on and others are helping. Many of my helpers are older. He is already thinking about not having the switch done.
 
> but it would require a very, very strong jerk to pull it out

o holy crap ... what happens then?!
 
> but it would require a very, very strong jerk to pull it out

o holy crap ... what happens then?!

Greg, a quick trip to the ER to get it replaced. They tell me if you are quick about it, they can replace it without much difficulty but if you wait, they have to proceed as if you'd never had one,
 
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