Hello, lovelies!
How's it going?
Well, I'm a big ball of emotion right now, I don't know if I should cry or celebrate? Let me explain why.
As of 13/July/2021, I have had my feeding tube for one year!!!
*Applause all around* But, it isn't all ice cream and cheesecake.
It's actually a really big thing for me. I have a lot of conflicting feelings about my illnesses and assistive devices at times.
I got my feeding tube 1 year ago, after a long battle with H.pylori and chronic stomach infections and flares from my other chronic illnesses that I had been dealing with since 2017.
I developed Gastroparesis and dysphagia as a result of it and had lost a lot of weight because I couldn't eat and swallow properly. The tube as of now is permanent as I still can't maintain a healthy weight.
Getting diagnosed was hard enough as doctors didn't want to believe that I had a problem that wasn't an eating disorder. It took 2.5 years!
Having this tube is life-saving, however, I went from an *NJ, this process was done very rough and left me traumatized. They went in with a tube through the nose and down the throat through the stomach and into my jejunum, after placement, it didn't work, and I couldn't eat or talk for 4 days! Then a *Peg-j tube, I was asleep for this process, the pain was great after I woke up but not too bad, and I liked this one much better! This is a long feeding tube.
Then on to a *GJ button tube fairly quickly. This is a lower-profile feeding tube. Yes, it has also been hard learning how to be mostly tube fed, watching others around you partaking in your favorite foods. I cried knowing I couldn't eat what I loved. (I still do at times) While trying to figure out a suitable diet for when eating by mouth (I still don't have a handle on that), and dealing with my body constantly trying to reject the j portion of my tube so it's constantly curling back up in my stomach and needing to be changed. The pain, the gas and discomfort, and oh goodness the smells coming from the stoma! Don't get me started on that.
The trial and errors of it all, the formula and syringes, the being tied to a pole all day or reliant on a backpack, it is all still so much to get used to even a year in!
But don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for this tube with all the ups and downs and to the doctors who took me seriously. I am still in mourning of my old body and abilities I suppose and that is OK!
This is a learning process, and one thing I am learning is how to love myself, my body for how it is, and everything I have went and am going through!! I am STRONG! This is just one more tool in my toolbox to help me live to the best of my abilities, and for that I am Thankful!
*NJ tube-An NJ tube is a type of feeding tube. This tube is placed in the nose and travels past the stomach and into the intestine (jejuna portion of small bowel intestine).
*Peg-j tube-A PEG is a feeding tube that is placed into your stomach. If the tube can't be placed into your stomach, you may have a PEJ tube placed instead. A PEJ tube is placed in your jejunum, which is the second part of your small intestine.
*GJ button tube-The G-J Button is also called a Gastrojejunostomy low profile tube.
A gastrostomy-jejunostomy tube -- commonly abbreviated as "G-J tube" -- is placed into your stomach and small intestine. The “G” portion of this tube is used to vent your stomach for air or drainage, and/or as well as give you an alternate way for feeding.
Nj Tube Peg-j
G-J Button
_Stay Lovely_