Wednesday June 10

Yesterday afternoon dad's feeding tube area starting hurting him really bad (and I found out later that the feeding tube "food" was coming back out around the tube) and around 2:45 AM I was called and told they were taking dad to the ER. I figured it would take a while so I tried to get back to sleep and got up around 7 AM and went to the ER. About 5 minutes before I arrived dad's feeding tube was taken out and replaced. He had been in pain most of the night. I am still not really sure why he was in so much pain but the ER did give him Vicodin for the pain.

The ER said to get a follow up appointment with dad's surgeon so dad has an appointment on Monday the 15th at 12:45 PM. I am talking to and trying to get everyone that works with dad to see if it is possible to ask Dr B to take out the feeding tube for good when dad goes to his appointment.

I don't know if the Doctor can take out the tube in his office. Well I know he can take it out and replace it but I don't know if he can take it out and leave it without some kind of procedure that might involve having to go to the hospital. I have tried looking on the web but I am not great at doing searches and can't really find what I want to know. One site said the PEG (what they call the feeding tube) said it could be taken out and it would heal up in a day or 2, another place mentioned something about some stitches. No one where dad is seems to know the answer either so I guess we will just have to wait. And we will have to wait to see if everyone thinks it can come out for good.

Dad's diet has been upgraded! No more pureed food. He is now on a "mechanically soft diet". Doesn't sound good but it is. He can have food that is somewhere between pureed and hard to eat.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me (and don't forget cousin Jimmy who had both knees replaced this past Monday).

Kathy