On 9/2/2007 Ejw00100 wrote:
I have had tube in for four months and just learned it will be in for a
lot longer. Has anyone had experiance with long term feeding tube
issues? Ie: I have twice had to replace the tube plug due to
wear, do you know of simple fixes for this problem. Also, are
there any ways to protect the tube via a strap or such in order to
allow greater exercise and bike riding ability. Tks. Ed Walsh
Hi Ed,
I
had treatment earlier in the year and had a peg tube for about 3 1/2
months. There was a couple of things I did to alleviate the discomfort
or awkwardness of having a 18" tube projecting from my stomach. First,
I took one of my son's old baby socks ( he is now four) and covered the
end that had the pinch clamp with it. I found the constant irritation
of it rubbing against my stomach was stopped immediatley. I also took a
lanyard ( neck thingee ) that is typically attached to a sports pass,
press pass , or trade show badge that has a little spring clip on one
end and wore this around my neck. I looped a rubber band around the
tube about 4 inches up from the end and clipped the lanyard to the
rubber band. This was a far better solution than tucking the tube into
a pocket or leave it dangling inside my shirt. As lightweight as the
tube was the little bit of pressure pulling against the plug inside my
stomach, made a tender / sore spot at the point where it pressed
against my stomach on the inside. This especially happened at night,
when I would roll over onto it, causing it to be be pulled harder. The
lanyard and sock contrpation helped more than anything else my nurses
or docs could suggest.
I hope this helps,
Matt