Could you talk more on how learning that not having the tube in would kill you made you understand why all of the medical professionals were offering to remove it?
When I first saw the oncologist he made me meet with a lady that walked me through chemo. She laid out that explicitly that I am such a slender guy that I will die without the tube. And my kidneys will fail since I will probably not be able to get down water. I would later learn (PET scan) that I was born with one kidney.
I think they knew that letting me know that they could easily remove it would increase the odds that I would get it put in. To make it seem like a trivial thing. If you don't like it we can just pop it out and things go back to normal. Easy. Might as well have it put in, why not? Everyone had the same spiel.
And they were right. It is easy to remove. I accidentally removed it myself one morning. And I lost my shit. I shoved it back in and my stomach contents started pouring all over the carpet since the other end was open. I was panicked.
It took about five minutes to shove back in and it required a significant amount of force. The thing is the hole closes up fast. They said if it comes it you have a hour to get to the ER before we have to start from scratch. And I don't drive. And nobody that drives was home. And I live in the burbs`. So I had to just get it back in there.
Fun fact.. Is you toss some lube on the tube it goes right in. I now keep KY in the bathroom drawer. But that was terrifying.. That is how I eat. And getting the it put in was pretty fucking painful. I had to resolve to situation.
I had inquired into why people refuse and the radiologist pretty much said that religion seems to be a major factor.
He also asked me about the "gun situation" where I live. We have a lot of guns but they are locked in a safe. They are for turning animals into jerky. We don't sleep with guns under pillows. We don't even lock our doors.
But he was concerned about my access to suicide machines. Five weeks later I would understand his question.
I imagine the idea is that, by emphasizing how easy it is to change your mind after the tube is inserted, you can more easily persuade the patient to allow you to put the tube in in the first place.
Absolutely. That was the goal. If I didn't like it we could pop it out in a minute and it won't hurt. So no harm in having it done.
I am glad they were aggressive. I would have died a painful death without it.
When the ENT guy said I would probably need a feeding tube I was thinking a thing that would go down my throat. And I was not thrilled about that. Right after the ENT guy I had to see the Radiologist and he was banging on more about the tube.
I still thought it was a down the throat tube. But my sister had google imaged searched g-tubes and showed me on the ride home. Tube in the stomach. No big deal. As long as it wasn't a tube down my throat. Horrible.. But significantly less bad than I had imagined.
I would be dead without the tube. So if anyone else has the same problem you should really get it.
I have to get the tube replaced every ~4 months. Last time I talked to a guy that used to work as a radiation tech at a different hospital. He said they just didn't do radiation on neck people unless they get the tube. Since they will die anyway and it is expensive.
When I first saw the oncologist he made me meet with a lady that walked me through chemo. She laid out that explicitly that I am such a slender guy that I will die without the tube. And my kidneys will fail since I will probably not be able to get down water. I would later learn (PET scan) that I was born with one kidney.
I think they knew that letting me know that they could easily remove it would increase the odds that I would get it put in. To make it seem like a trivial thing. If you don't like it we can just pop it out and things go back to normal. Easy. Might as well have it put in, why not? Everyone had the same spiel.
And they were right. It is easy to remove. I accidentally removed it myself one morning. And I lost my shit. I shoved it back in and my stomach contents started pouring all over the carpet since the other end was open. I was panicked.
It took about five minutes to shove back in and it required a significant amount of force. The thing is the hole closes up fast. They said if it comes it you have a hour to get to the ER before we have to start from scratch. And I don't drive. And nobody that drives was home. And I live in the burbs`. So I had to just get it back in there.
Fun fact.. Is you toss some lube on the tube it goes right in. I now keep KY in the bathroom drawer. But that was terrifying.. That is how I eat. And getting the it put in was pretty fucking painful. I had to resolve to situation.