Omelet wrote:

>>> No, stomach tube installed thru the navel.
>>>
>>>
>> actually it is never placed through the navel itself. It is placed in
>> the abdominal wall into either the stomach or lower down into the jejunum.
>
> Ok, Alex showed me his and that's what it looked like...

To an untrained eye, I guess it might? The stomach and jejunum are
higher up though. It is usually off center also. Simple procedure, we do
them routinely on traumas if they're going to require nutritional
support for weeks and they're preferable to nasal or oral tubes for many
reasons. We can pop it out and let the stoma heal shut when they're
improved enough for oral nutrition.
>
>> It would make me miserable to have to have one of those when I love food
>> so. I can imagine how depressing it is?
>
> He did ok. The thing that made him the most miserable indeed was being
> unable to swallow. I really felt for him.

Not swallowing wouldn't bother me (I think?) near as much as not tasting.
>
> He'd come to me (knowing I was ok with doing some stuff) with a slide
> with a tongue scraping asking if I could look for fungus as he thought
> that is what he had. It was negative. He told me later that it turned
> out to be cancer. <sigh> I was sad.
>
Smoker? I take care of those patients at times when they're very
unstable and those face/neck wounds are horrendous. Seeing a couple of
those should be a "scared straight" advertisement for not picking up
cigs, IMO.

>> I know of someone who lost his
>> sense of smell and I wonder how much he enjoys food now?
>
> Older people tend to have that happen to them. I wonder how much of
> that can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies? Dad seems to be able to
> taste ok, but I know he does not smell as well as he used to, by his own
> admission.

Older folks tastebuds often diminish, but I've not heard that the sense
of smell diminishes so much? Perhaps? This man I was thinking of was
younger though. He has a lot of years ahead of him to not smell things!
I need to ask how his enjoyment of food is?

In article >,
Goomba > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> >>> No, stomach tube installed thru the navel.
> >>>
> >>>
> >> actually it is never placed through the navel itself. It is placed in
> >> the abdominal wall into either the stomach or lower down into the jejunum.
> >
> > Ok, Alex showed me his and that's what it looked like...
>
> To an untrained eye, I guess it might? The stomach and jejunum are
> higher up though. It is usually off center also. Simple procedure, we do
> them routinely on traumas if they're going to require nutritional
> support for weeks and they're preferable to nasal or oral tubes for many
> reasons. We can pop it out and let the stoma heal shut when they're
> improved enough for oral nutrition.

Ok. You are a surgical nurse, I'm only a lab tech. We know just enough
to be dangerous. <g>

> >
> >> It would make me miserable to have to have one of those when I love food
> >> so. I can imagine how depressing it is?
> >
> > He did ok. The thing that made him the most miserable indeed was being
> > unable to swallow. I really felt for him.
>
> Not swallowing wouldn't bother me (I think?) near as much as not tasting.

He only had 1/2 his tongue and the rest was damaged by radiation
treatment.

> >
> > He'd come to me (knowing I was ok with doing some stuff) with a slide
> > with a tongue scraping asking if I could look for fungus as he thought
> > that is what he had. It was negative. He told me later that it turned
> > out to be cancer. <sigh> I was sad.
> >
> Smoker?

No. Chemical exposure from a previous job is what he told me.
He was never a smoker.

> I take care of those patients at times when they're very
> unstable and those face/neck wounds are horrendous. Seeing a couple of
> those should be a "scared straight" advertisement for not picking up
> cigs, IMO.

IMHO the most HORRIBLE picture I ever saw in class was the cancer from a
pipe smoker. They hold the smoke in their mouths longer.

>
> >> I know of someone who lost his
> >> sense of smell and I wonder how much he enjoys food now?
> >
> > Older people tend to have that happen to them. I wonder how much of
> > that can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies? Dad seems to be able to
> > taste ok, but I know he does not smell as well as he used to, by his own
> > admission.
>
> Older folks tastebuds often diminish, but I've not heard that the sense
> of smell diminishes so much? Perhaps? This man I was thinking of was
> younger though. He has a lot of years ahead of him to not smell things!
> I need to ask how his enjoyment of food is?

He loves my cooking. :-) So I'm encouraged somewhat by that... He's
also been ok lately with simpler veggies, not overly spiced seems to be
his preference.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

"Janet Baraclough" > wrote in message
...
> The message >
> from T > contains these words:
>
>
>> Interesting take on life. I don't know, if I'm having a heart attack I
>> most certainly would want to be brought back.
>
> In what state? In any event where breathing stopped, you might have
> suffered permanent heart or brain damage.
>
> But cancer, especially
>> cancers of the digestive, pulmonary or neurological you may as well
>> shoot yourself.
>
> That's misleading. Many people recover from quite advanced cancers
> and live a normal lifespan. How about the Queen Mother; bowel cancer
> in her 60's and lived to over 100 (with a colostomy)
>

Living with a colostomy for 40 years? Yeah, that sounds just great.

Janet Baraclough wrote:

> That's misleading. Many people recover from quite advanced cancers
> and live a normal lifespan. How about the Queen Mother; bowel cancer
> in her 60's and lived to over 100 (with a colostomy)
>
> Janet.

Get outta here?! She did!? I had no idea?
Tomorrow when I'm off work I shall tip down a Gin and Tonic in honor
and memory of the old gal. Bless her heart.

In article >,
says...
> The message >
> from T > contains these words:
>
>
> > Interesting take on life. I don't know, if I'm having a heart attack I
> > most certainly would want to be brought back.
>
> In what state? In any event where breathing stopped, you might have
> suffered permanent heart or brain damage.

Put it this way, I live within a 1.5 mile radius of 3 fire stations with
advanced life support rescue squads, in addition to four hospitals.

Average fire and police response time is usually a minute.

Did I mention, advanced life support means they have chillers on board.
Recent research found that lowering the core temperature helps to reduce
the amount of damage to critical organs like the brain.


> But cancer, especially
> > cancers of the digestive, pulmonary or neurological you may as well
> > shoot yourself.
>
> That's misleading. Many people recover from quite advanced cancers
> and live a normal lifespan. How about the Queen Mother; bowel cancer
> in her 60's and lived to over 100 (with a colostomy)

Quality of life comes into play too.

In article >,
says...
> In article >,
> blake murphy > wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:40:17 GMT, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >
> > > On Fri 12 Dec 2008 01:20:38p, Gloria P told us...
> > >
> > >> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > >>> On Fri 12 Dec 2008 12:08:30p, Gloria P told us...
> > >>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> OB Food: I don't know what my last meal would be, but I think I'd
> > >>>> want either bacon or lobster to play a big part.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> gloria p
> > >>>
> > >>> I would think that would depend on what state of health and what state
> > > of
> > >>> mind you were in at the time.
> > >>
> > >> If you were about to commit suicide would you really worry about your
> > >> cholesterol? Work with me here!
> > >>
> > >> gloria p
> > >>
> > >
> > > I was thinking more in terms of what if your health issues prevented you
> > > from swallowing.
> >
> > blender and i.v. line to the rescue!
> >
> > your pal,
> > blake
>
> No, stomach tube installed thru the navel.
>
> I knew a male nurse (really nice guy too!) that had tongue cancer. They
> cut out about 1/2 of his tongue and quite a bit of other mouth tissue,
> then gave him radiation treatments that messed up his esophagus so he
> could not swallow.
>
> A stomach tube and a blender kept him alive....
>
> For awhile.
>
> He finally died after about 2 years of misery. :-(
>
> I miss him still. He was an excellent nurse and actually worked during a
> lot of his treatment.
>

Interestingly my step-mom was an RN too so she knew exactly what was
going on throughout the ordeal with colon cancer.

Such a shame though, she really was a great person.

In article >,
says...
> In article >,
> "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
> > blake murphy wrote:
> > > On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:11:22 -0500, Nancy Young wrote:
> >
> > >> They'd certainly punish any doctor they knew helped end
> > >> your misery. Hell, they punish doctors for giving people
> > >> enough pain medication.
> >
> > > it's a disgrace, isn't it? the d.e.a. should butt out unless the
> > > doctor is obviously a pill-pusher (i.e., writing dozens of
> > > prescriptions a day).
> >
> > It's ridiculous, and so many people suffer for it.
> >
> > nancy
>
> People need to learn to say "no".
>
> My internist has offered me many more 'scripts than I actually take. I
> research them first and decide if they will hurt me more than they will
> help me.
>
> It's why I only take 3. (Thyroid Armour, Propranolol and Torsemide).
>
> I quite taking the amphetamines she prescribed for weight loss months
> ago as they were doing more harm than good, and turned down the
> Benzodiazepines she wanted me to take to help me sleep outright. I
> never picked up the prescription for those.
>
> If I was ever to get addicted to anything, it'd be Benzo's. <g>
>
> I also turned down a prescription for Codeine to help me with the
> chronic pain I've had to deal with since that f-ing bad fall back in
> April. The LAST damned thing I want to get addicted to is Opiates!
>
> I've even given up Ibuprofen for the most part. It can do renal damage
> if abused.
>

My father has gone through similar issues. They had him so doped up that
he was incoherent most of the time. I'd talk to him on the phone and I'd
ask him what the hell they had him on.

He finally got a doctor who figured out the correct drug regimen for his
back problems and he's much more lucid these days.

In article > ,
T > wrote:

> My father has gone through similar issues. They had him so doped up that
> he was incoherent most of the time. I'd talk to him on the phone and I'd
> ask him what the hell they had him on.
>
> He finally got a doctor who figured out the correct drug regimen for his
> back problems and he's much more lucid these days.

That's a good thing. :-)

I see a good Chiropractor. He's better than drugs.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama