Question: Tube Feeding Since The Diagnosis And Tube Feedings Will Be Lifelong, One Would Assume That Instead Of A Nasal Tube, A Enterostomy Would Be Surgically Placed. This Would Alleviate The Worry About Being Seen With A Tube Hanging From My Face At All Times. I Think For Me The First Thing I Would Experience Would Be Depression Simply Due To The Drastic Change …

tube feeding Since the diagnosis and tube feedings will be lifelong, one would assume that instead of a nasal tube, a enterostomy would be surgically placed. This would alleviate the worry about being seen with a tube hanging from my face at all times. I think for me the first thing I would experience would be depression simply due to the drastic change in life that this diagnosis would create. I would be saddened to lose the ability to taste food and the social impact it would have. Hopefully I would have a strong support system to help me through the initial adjustment to this new journey. Some questions I would have would be what are the risk of dehydration, will lose too much weight, what can I do if my mouth feels dry and what is the risk of aspiration pneumonia during nighttime feedings? Fluids and electrolytes added to enteral solutions to decrease the risk of dehydration, as well as carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and minerals to maintain health body weight. Luckily with enterostomies, they have the lowest risk of aspiration pneumonia as it allows the lower esophageal sphincter to remain closed. The process as a whole would be an adjustment and have a learning curve but with the right support network and education, life could continue as normal with only a few inconveniences.