choking...please help

[lhart]

My 2 bits worth,
I've had a feeding tube for seven months now, and, as freaked out I was about getting it..it's the best thing I did. You learn how to eat (through trial and error usually) without choking by adjusting your diet and modifying the food like everyone said. But its hard to get enough food in you to maintain your weight or satisfy the cravings. I miss being able to sit down with a burger and a beer, or some of that crappy chinese food from the food fair at the mall etc. What I found is that sometimes I only need a bite or a sip and then I'm fine. I can still manage most foods, but I have to be carefull. The feeding tube takes care of the general maintenance of sustenance. My wife takes care of the cravings. We have a general rule around here....All doggy bags go to dad!
Les

 

[Granny]

Jane gave good advice. The only thing I had not tried were the strawberries and cream with lots of sugar-can't wait!
I have had ALS for one year. Only my mouth and throat muscles are affected-my speech is gone and I have difficulty eating. I use mostly pureed foods-made with my little chopper from Zellers.
As far as the feeding tube goes, at the advice of my doctor, who is super, I had the feeding tube inserted last September, before I needed it. I am glad I did. I did not start using it until after Christmas, when I had lost 40 pounds. Now I get about half my food by tube and half from eating by mouth. I had very little if any pain after the tube was inserted.
Hope this helps.
Will pray for your dad, Dana.

 

[dana]

Thank you for praying for my dad Granny. You don't know how much that means. I do the same for you all.
Dana

 

[Timshelper]

Thanks for the info on the tube, Tim stayed in the hospital for 2 days but is going home tomorrow. He said the insertion was fine but he was so hungry after because they only gave him the supplements and no real food to see if his stomach would handle the tube. tim has also lost about 40 pounds or more and since he ws only 140 to begin with it was time to for him to have the tube. I talked to im again about moving in and he says maybe in a month when he cant push himself with his feet anymore. He cant use his upper body or hands what so ever so I'm having a hard time figuring out how he maneuvers himself to get out of bed at night to go the the bathroom. When I was at the hospital today I had to help and then the nurses came and assisted. He is so damn independent and stubborn but its scarey because he could easily fall and really hurt himself or worse but we cant change his mind. I guess its his life and he will live it as he pleases. Thank goodness home care is with him 3 times a day until almost 8 at night. This is becoming very frustrating and hard on my nerves when I see how incapable he really is but just wont admit it. I guess since I'm only a freind I just wait and see what happens. Carol they didnt do any tests at all on him in fact they didnt even weigh him till I suggested it when I left the hopsital I just hope they did it. Your call was very comforting and also real and I think after today I got a little taste of what is yet to come and I dont think it will be pretty. Take care everyone.
Kim
ALS About Loving Someone

 

[TBear]

Hi Dana:

The doctors will let you know when they think it's time to get feeding tube. I believe you said that you were going to the Mayo Clinic, so I'm assuming that you are in the upper mid west U.S. somewhere.
You can be reasonably assured that it's time when your dad starts to lose weight regularly. At that point he's not gettting enough food into him to sustain his weight. Also, when breakfast runs into lunch and lunch runs into dinner he might want to think about it. (When there just aren't enough hours in a day to get the required food into him!)

Good Luck... and try to have fun

T.