As I mentioned in my last blog post, I generally consume my tube feedings fairly quickly. In fact, I use the maximum speed of the pump. I have even refused pumps because their maximum speed was only 400 ml per hour. That’s just not enough for me. I always say, “Then I’ll starve while eating…” My feeding pump always runs at 600 ml/h.
Pragmatic background
The background was totally pragmatic at the time. When I got my first feeding tube, the pump was attached to an IV pole. So, when I was eating, I was literally tied to one spot. That was boring, of course. Especially in a hospital. So I wanted the tube feeding to be over as quickly as possible. (In another post, I will report in detail on the fact that you can of course be totally mobile with a pump for tube feeding. But I didn’t know any of that back then.)
Thanks to the pump, I can do it anywhere
Even though it is theoretically possible to go faster than the maximum speed of the feeding pump used, I usually use this option. Because, thanks to the pump, I can actually take in tube feedings anywhere and even on the go. Just like the oral eaters, who occasionally eat a sandwich or something similar.
It is still food intake
In my opinion, this cross-reference is actually even more important than mobility. Because even if our food now comes directly into the stomach via a tube and no longer via the mouth and oesophagus, it is still food intake. And by nature, this is actually quite fast. Except perhaps in a very good restaurant, where more than three courses usually take several hours. I have also had this experience. (And that was even during the time with a stomach tube. But more about that too at some other point ;-)) As a rule, eating is quite quick. The body is designed for that. Therefore, it makes sense to handle it the same way with a PEG tube. Instead of giving the food drop by drop over many hours into the stomach.
Trying it out
However, with a PEG we are dealing with a medical rather than a lifestyle issue. So special attention should always be paid to the circumstances. For example, if a person is lying down, there is a risk that the food (which in our case is actually already liquid and no longer needs to be broken down in the stomach) will run out of the stomach through the esophagus into the throat and be aspirated there. This is especially true if gastroesophageal reflux is present due to illness. Aspiration should be avoided in any case, of course. Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to feed the person only small amounts of food at a time. Or the person should be brought into a more upright position to eat (and for some time afterward). It is worth trying out what the person feels most comfortable with.
Listen to your body
Incidentally, this applies not only to bedridden people with a feeding tube, but to all of us. We have to listen to our bodies and sometimes also try out a little what does us good and how.
Personally, I am a fan of quick food intake. This way, hunger and satiety are much better maintained. Even if too much of one (or the other) is unpleasant, it is still part of normal life. And life with a PEG should be as normal as possible.
