Send your tips, questions,
and thoughts about tube feeding to: Tube Talk, c/o The Oley Foundation, 214 Hun
Memorial MC-28, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY 12208; or e-mail
metzgel@mail.amc.edu.
Information shared in this column represents the experience of that individual
and should not imply endorsement by the Oley Foundation. The Foundation strongly
encourages
readers
to discuss any suggestions with their physician and/or wound care nurse before
making any changes in their care.
Pocket Secures Tubes
My daughter, now thirteen years of age, was born with a motility disorder. As a result of her condition, she had a gastrostomy/jejunostomy (G-J) feeding tube placed as a young infant. She has also required a central line for six consecutive years for added nutrition.
Early on, I grew apprehensive
of the tubes and lines hanging freely from my little girl’s torso, feeling many
complications could easily occur. I was fearful of her tubes and lines
unintentionally getting yanked when we picked her up or changed her clothing. I
was also distressed about my daughter curiously tugging on them herself. Despite
my efforts to avoid the unavoidable, these things did happen periodically.
Once she started crawling, my concerns heightened. I tested various methods to secure the tubes and lines. For starters, I taped them to her skin, but this only replaced a problem with a problem—the outcome was skin irritation and blistering. Afterwards, I pinned the hanging attachments to her clothing, but I was worried I would not remember to unpin them before removing her clothing.
Soon enough, I constructed a wearable pouch to keep her tube and line safe up against her torso, but separate from both her clothing and skin. My daughter began wearing my creation and immediately fell in love. She wore this pouch twenty-four–seven and before long she nicknamed it “my pocket.” After seeing her “pocket,” the staff at Beaumont Children’s Hospital began to urge me to make this available to all patients with feeding tubes and central lines. MyPokit became my passion.
MyPokit is made of comfortable, washable fabric and can be worn discreetly underneath clothing while keeping your feeding tube or central line safe. MyPokit is available in various styles and will soon be available in a slightly different design aimed towards the adult. Visit www.mypokit.com to learn more.
—Melissa Saville
Melissa@mypokit.com
LifelineLetter, January/February 2012