Out of Nose Jail

Monday's procedure to take out the nasal feeding tube and insert the PEG tube went well, followed by an excruciatingly boring stint in the hospital until we were discharged yesterday at 3:45 pm--to get to, you guessed it--a 4pm appointment with Dr. Roser.

I have been able to tolerate a huge number of things in the past 6 years that would make most people throw in the towel--pain, swelling, straight catheters,chemo,  radiation, and much more.  All along the only things that have made me shrink and squirm have been the insertion of anything into my nose or into my throat.  So, you can imagine how much discomfort I was in for 4+ weeks with the nasal feeding tube pushed down my esophagus and dangling out of my left nostril.  I could feel every inch of it, and a hundred times wanted to yank it out for just a few minutes of relief.  The only thing that kept me from doing that was knowing they would have had to insert a new tube in its place to keep me fed and hydrated.

At the very end of the procedure on Monday, as I was being weaned off the sedation and starting to hear things around me, I heard the doctor tell someone to take out the nasal tube, and a few seconds later it was gone.  My body wanted to give out a big yell of relief, but of course my brain and my body were not working together at that moment when I was released from "Nose Jail."  So, a silent "Thank you" was made, and Terry and I celebrated my release once my head had cleared in the post-op room.  We can now actually kiss again (still no puckers for me), rather than do our improvised forehead and nose rubbing.

In the hospital I was still attached to other tubes and IVs, so was still not feeling totally unconstrained.  But, I left the hospital with only the new PEG tube in my stomach, and as I walked over to Dr. Roser's office, it felt like a set of heavy chains had been taken off my body.

We devised a torso wrap that would protect the PEG tube while I was in bed, and that allowed me to have my best night of sleep since June 18.  I didn't have to sleep on my back, or use the wedge pillow to prop me up.  We went out for a short walk this morning, the first without the nasal tube--and it felt really good.  Once our oppressive heat spell breaks, I want to do a lot more of that.

But, "It's always something..." and there are a few problems with the PEG tube and accessories.  We don't have the proper connections for a faster kind of feeding, so it's still very slow and tedious.  Hopefully they will be delivered today.  Until then I need to be tethered to the feeding pump for over 4 hours a day.  I can still do some things while feeding--like this blog entry, but my daily planning still revolves around that tethered feeding procedure.

But, I am enjoying my release from Nose Jail, and after a good night's sleep feeling the best I have since the start of Hell Lite almost 5 weeks ago.

Mike