hey RichB

“hey Rich, if I pay you, would it be possible for you to shuttle us on this trip (Loyalsock Trail thru-hike)? From what I am reading the western trailhead is not a good place to leave a car. We are hiking it from 7/1 to 7/4. Not yet sure all the logistics or which trailhead is the better one to start at (the western trailhead has no good camping for several miles). Friday will be a night hike.”

“ENS, I might make part of this trip. I'd like to hike the whole thing with everyone, but I'm not sure if my hip will be healed enough to hike on it for 20 miles, 3 days in row. So I'm thinking about camping out Friday night and hiking part of Sat. and turning around and just making an overnighter out of it.”

“What did you read about the western trailhead, vandalism? I've never been on that part of the trail.”

“I just read that there is a shuttle service for the Loyalsock Trail in case you need it. Check out the Alpine Club of Williamsport.
last edited: 6/20/05 10:16:14 PM”

“Hey Rich, do you think you will camp with us this weekend?”

“I'd still like to unless something comes up or the weather turns bad. So far it looks OK. I'm still not healed enough to hike the whole trail, but I'm thinking of getting a bag night in Friday and hiking a little on Saturday before heading home. We're you planning on camping at Haystacks or the Bobo's super secret campsite Friday?”

“one or the other. depends on how early we start.”

“RichB,

I think I might hike the south loop of the Pinchot Trail tomorrow, if you'd like to come along.”

“I can go just let me know what time you plan to be there.”

“Hey RichB, I was talking to the dietitian yesterday about not gaining weight. When I told her I had added a Scandi Shake to my diet she expressed some concern. It seems one risks having the feeding tube degrade more quickly when one uses it for "real" food...she said the acids in food can break it down which is why they do no recommend using it for real food...that kinda bummed me out as it will be tough to afford the +$800/month canned food will cost me when I lose my insurance...

Another thing she told me was that I wasn't gaining weight right away because my body had been in an advanced state of malnutrition for such a long time and it takes quite awhile for it to catch up...

What do you think about those 2 comments?”

“How much does a replacement feeding tube cost?”

“Nobody ever told me that, but I know they discourage people from putting real food in the tube mainly because they are afraid you will block it. That is a concern because you have to do everything 100% right each time so you don't block it. If you know what you are doing, you won't block it. They just think you will. With an NG tube, it's less of a problem if it did need to be replaced due to blockage or damage because any ER doctor can install a new one in a few minutes. With a PEG tube it's different story because it requires surgery.

As far as the tube not lasting as long from the use of real food, I'd like to see proof of that before I believe what one person says. How much of a difference in time would it be? That's tough to say for sure if it's true. You should be flushing the tube well after use so there shouldn't be any food residue left in it. Besides that the tube resides bathed in stomach acid dangling constantly in your stomach. Is food acid stronger than that? I don't see how it could be. If anything the stomach acid would eat the tube away long before any food residue would. My thinking is even if real food did wear out the tube faster (which I doubt it does) so what? Just using the tube wears it out since you can see it balloon in and out when you inject anything into it. One person might need twice the amount of formula than someone else so they will wear out a tube twice as fast as the other person so what's the difference as far as wearing out the tube. Let them install a new one when it does wear out. Nothing lasts forever anyway. That's my logic in the whole thing. If anything wears out first, it's the top section connection where you attach the syringe not the tube itself.

I never had a PEG tube just the NG type, but I've had 6 of them over the last 9 years and I know if I had a PEG tube or another NG tube, I'm putting real food down it regardless of what anybody says. That canned formula is basically, sugar, oil, protein from milk or soy and a quarter of a vitamin pill. It'll keep you alive, but it not really good nutrition over the long haul. There hardly any fiber in most of it and it just can't match the things in real food. It's not good for your intestinal tract either and the cost is high. I felt a lot better when I used real food. Not everyone will be able to put real food in a feeding tube. Some people are too sick to do it and others won't want to bother because it does take a lot a time and effort. It's a lot easier just to open a can in inject the formula. Also, there's zero margin for a error with real food so you don't block the tube. You have to get the consistency right each time and and run everything through a strainer first. For me, I found it worth the effort and had my own system to do it.

I'm not sure what to say about being in a state of malnutrition and your body having to "catch up." I only know that if I had a tube now and I wanted to gain weight, I'd be injecting as many calories as I could handle each day until I did gain weight. I guess that's all you can do until your body does "catch up".
last edited: 6/13/08 8:23:17 AM”