Small milestones reached and the food saga...

HunGene Please don’t feel like you’ve to push through if you need ng tube for feeding please get one. I had mine un for last 3 weeks of treatment and first3  of recovery. Nutrition, hydration and medication are vital for getting through and recovery. I went from being ok in a Friday to Sunday hardly being able to swallow. So please be aware. Keep on top,of pain medication and yiu can use the gelclair 30 min before you try to eat to ease the pain from U.K. eats. A simple salt and baking powder rinse may help. Please watch out for oral thrush as well, that’s painful. 
Good luck Hazel x

Hi Hazel, great advice as always. The issue with the ng is one of manpower (surgeon availability) plus lack of actual tubes across the country. I am one of "many" sat in pending status in our trust area, I had nasal as part of surgery so know what to expect/do if needed and seems the more likely backup plan.

My ng tube was put in both occasions by a nurse all, over and done  with in 5 mins. The stomach one yes that’s needs a surgeon i hope you get sorted out. It’s scary that the nhs is in such a bad way no feeding tubes it’s something you would expect in a 3 rd world county not in the U.K.Have you asked for the high calorie ensure or fortisip  drinks ti maintain nutrition. As for drinking  try lukewarm water through a straw I’ve just remembered that was one if my standbyes. 
Asfor medication yiu can get 30 mg co codomol that dissolve they do sting but if you leave them to stand the fizz goes .saw in other post yiure a Yorkshire lass I’m a Yorkshire lass are you still in Yorkshire ? If yiu want to say where are yiu being treated? 

I am on the 30/500 co-co now.

I am an exile now Hazel, still in a shire... Staffordshire... 

Hi Gene if you’re struggling to swallow you can get soluble ones. Don’t forget laxido or movicol when on cocodomol. Constipation is not what yiu need. Will let you off at least it’s a shire !

Hazel x

GeneS said:

The issue with the ng is one of manpower (surgeon availability) plus lack of actual tubes across the country. I am one of "many" sat in pending status in our trust area, I had nasal as part of surgery so know what to expect/do if needed and seems the more likely backup plan.

Morning Gene. You should be able to get an NG tube in quickly as a day case. Mine was simply put in by a nurse.

At first I syringed Fortisips in six times a day but that got so tedious and wore me out with all the other things I had to do so the hospital got me a pump, the food replacement was delivered to my home by Nuitricia and I fed overnight slowly.

By the time I had a feeding tube I was on Oramorph which was a blooming revelation. The pain eased and I could laugh again. When I began waking in the night to take the morphine I was given long acting morphine morning and night which took all the background pain away. It was a real game changer

I hope you get on top of this soon.

Hugs