Tube Talk
Thank you to everyone who sent material for the "Tube Talk" column. Anyone who is interested in participating can send their tips, questions and thoughts about tube feeding to: Tube Talk, c/o The Oley Foundation, 214 Hun Memorial A-28, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY 12208; or E-mail DahlR@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.
Mortor & Pestle Crushes Pills Easily
Dear Lifeline Readers,
I have been on Home-PEN (G and J tubes of various sorts) on and off for 4 years now, and just wanted to share one of the biggest "finds" that I have made over the years. I started out using commercial pill crushers to prepare medications to be put through my tube, and one day in the kitchen store of an IKEA outlet happened to pick up a small ceramic mortar and pestle. That mortal and pestle have made my day 110% easier ever since. The commercial pill crushers broke easily and often, and were hard on the hands, but the mortar and pestle allow me to crush pills easily. On top of that, I can mix them with water in the bowl and fill it to do a water flush afterwards. I realize it’s a small thing, but it has made my life so much easier and no one mentioned the idea anywhere along the way; I just got lucky and I wanted to share the idea for anyone else who is struggling every day to crush pills.
— Michelle White
mlwhite@sas.upenn.edu
267-872-1052 or 215-417-7563
Editor’s Note: A ceramic mortar and pestle might also be available in a kitchen supply store, such as Lechters, William - Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, et.
Swimsuit for Female EN Consumers
Dear Lifeline Readers
For the first time in 9 years I have found a swim suit that is suitable for someone with a G-tube and/or J-tube, that doesn’t make me look like my grandmother. For the past many years I have been wearing loose shorts with underwear, and a tank top with my bra, to the beach and swimming in them. I’m often mortified because I look like a bag lady who can’t afford a swim suit. I have to have a two-piece suit so I can access both tubes for meds, water (if I’m there for the day I can’t drink enough to keep hydrated), and some kind of sugar juice, in case my sugar drops dramatically. With a two-piece suit, I can access the tubes discreetly with a 60cc syringe by placing a towel on my lap.
What makes my new suit so marvelous is the cut, design and color, which are fashionable and functional. Mine is navy and white nylon, fully lined and two-piece. The bottom is a full-cut boxer short, and the top is a matching, fully-lined tank top with bra that comes below the waist line of the shorts. Even when I raise my arms, no tubes or dressings show. And when the tubes are placed inside the waistband of the shorts, the boxers are loose enough to not show any bulging.
I ordered the suit from the television shopping channel, QVC. They got it from the company It Figures. You can reach them by email:RLarissa@ItFigures.net, or visit their website ItFigures.net. The suits may be displayed on QVC again too.
— Diane Owens
Marion, MA