Are any caregivers taking care of patients with feeding tubes?

There is another regular poster here - unfortunately she has had to leave the site for a while so I won't mention her by name - who has a feeding tube, she is able to have supplemental feedings at night and she has posted that it has been very helpful for her... I wish I could find a link to her advice. I think many of us have a knee jerk negative reaction when we hear the words feeding tube, having heard all the horror stories, but when placed for the right reasons they can literally be a life saver.

First: The issue is why you're not gaining calories by eating real food. If you're not gaining calories from eating real food, then why does the doctor think you will gain weight with a feeding tube? For gaining weight: Calories is calories; it doesn't matter if it's from real food or shakes designed specifically for a feeding tube. You need someone to evaluate why you're not gaining weight if no one has already done this. Has someone told you why you're not gaining weight and you just forgot to mention this reason in your question? A feeding tube can be a lifelong commitment because for some reason you're body is not absorbing nutrient-dense whole foods - which is far superior to those ridiculous shakes for feeding tubes.
Second: OMG! Please do everything else before getting a feeding tube - any feeding tube! My father first had a G-tube inserted before beginning advanced cancer treatment for jaw cancer. A few days after the this tube surgery, the tube literally fell out and hit the floor while my father was recovering in the hospital from this surgery - because it wasn't held securely in place from the idiot doctor doing this surgery, so a different doctor then inserted a J-tube - but didn't tell us that he was inserting this type of tube. This feeding tube was a nightmare for my father and for me managing it. Doctors never advised us beforehand the complications of managing and living with a feeding tube. Whenever there was a problem with this tube, I had to take my father to the ER - and every ER doctor just made the issue worse. Please remember: If the doctor is recommending a J-Tube - this can be cumbersome because you need to travel with a pump. Listen to your family - don't do this unless it's the very, very last option for food intake.

Sandra, you sound like the kind of person feeding tubes were designed for! This is not a long term choice which would prolong pain and suffering, but a temporary measure to help you gain some weight and restore your health after a devastating illness, and it seems to me that enough time has elapsed to show you can't do it on your own.

Sandra, I think it depends on what are the State laws regarding who can and cannot handle a feeding tube. You can check with a local caregiving Agency to see if an trained Aide or if you need a licensed RN to handle the tube.

Have you tried Assure or Boost with your meal. Way back decades ago, I had lost a lot of weight and one doctor had suggested Carnation Instant Breakfast, where you add milk, as a drink while eating. Now it all depends if you can have sugar and lactose. It took awhile, but I was able to get the weight back.

If you are feeling too frail, have your primary doctor check your B12 level. If you are low on B12, it can zone you out. Usually the doctor will start you on B12 shots weekly for a month or so, then you can graduate to taking B12 pills. That also worked for me :)