PEG Feeding...

When NiQi was at her absolute worst health in July/August 2011 her doctors suggested she have a PEG tube inserted (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy). It was a decision she didn't take lightly and knew that if she was serious about surviving and making it onto the lung transplant list, she needed to have it inserted.  Her daily intake of food just wasn't enough for her to gain weight and every time she picked up a new lung infection, she lost weight....it became a never ending battle for her which ended up in a vicious circle of becoming ill and losing weight.  In order to gain strength her weight had to increase.

So before she was discharged, surgery was scheduled and she had it inserted into her stomach.  Using the PEG has become a way of life for her and not only does it get used for her feeds at night but she inserts her Vitamin K supplement in it too.  I have never tasted the Vitamin K and from all accounts it is very unpleasant so I wouldn't want to either, but it is actually not made to be taken orally but it is injectable....unfortunately there is no vitamin K supplement available in South Africa that is made to be taken orally.

When NiQi came home she was given the kangaroo pump  by the dietetics department of Steve Biko hospital, to use.  This machine controls the flow of the feed through the night and mixing up a litre to have while she is sleeping, it generally runs through over about 8 hours.  Since then she has had to make exchanges a few times as the machine does start to play up and then stops working.The hospital then send them away for servicing...but they have never quibbled about giving her another machine to use.  Monthly they also still supply her nutritional supplements which saves us close to a R1000 a month...the cost of one tin of Ensure in the supermarkets is R70 and she is given 12 of those, then she also receives 2 tins of Protifar, a protein supplement at R400 a tin.  Also when she goes to the dietitians to be weighed and to collect more supplements, if they have any of the Fresubin shakes that are close to expiry date, she is given those.....so she is really blessed to be given so much by them.

Soon after surgery to have it inserted

                                 
                                                            Kangaroo Pump

                                 

             10pm              

3.30am

5am