Time To Replace Some Plumbing

My PEG tube has been getting loser and this weekend it seemed like it wanted to just pop out. While I can't wait for the day when I can get rid of the thing today is not that day. So on Monday I called the GI docs office to let them know what was happening. They said as long as it hasn't popped out of the hole yet then I should be OK and they scheduled me in to have it replaced today. One thing I like is these guys use terms even I can understand. Technically the hole is called the stoma but it took me a few months to figure that out. Fortunately they had my size of the button style PEG tube in stock at the hospital. When I first had it put in to replace the old one they had to order in a kit for my size.

Today I got to go in get it replaced. It turns out that the balloon on the inside that holds it in place ruptured. The way the PEG tube works is that there is a balloon on the inside that gets inflated with saline after it has been inserted and deflated when it needs to come out. This is how the PEG tube is held in place and tight to the stomach. Fortunately this time around the replacement was easy. I was in and out in an hour and a half and the first hour was spent in the waiting room. With the public WiFi and my iPod Touch I had no problem passing the time. The new PEG tube has a smaller stem and that is good. This makes it hold tighter to the stomach and keeps it more secure.

BTW the GI doctor probably described my approach to recovery the best. His said that I was aggressive in my pursuit to swallow again. That suits me fine.

Hot Diggity Dog

Once again living life on the edge I decided to try some more food experiments this weekend. We were at a tailgate party and I decided to try a half of a hot dog. Surprisingly I was able to eat it in very small bites. It took lots of sips of water but it did go down. Eating it wasn't exactly normal but I have approached eating and swallowing from a new angle. My view is that aside from the operational mechanics such as the size of the esophagus and saliva production there is also getting used to actually eating again. When I first started drinking liquids again it took quite a bit just to get a few ounces down. Even when my esophagus opened up it took some time to get used to drinking. Eating I feel is going to be the same way. So while eating a hot dog isn't an enjoyable experience now I am hopeful that in a few weeks after my next dilation procedure it will be better.

Music Therapy

Most of my blog entries the last few months have focused on Operation Garbage Plate. One thing that I have not mentioned is some of the other side effects. One that is related to the chemo is neuropathy. In my case this manifests itself in a loss of dexterity in my fingers. To help combat this I was trying to figure out what exercises I could do for my fingers when it hit me. Start playing the piano again. So starting this week I am adding in some time playing the piano each day to help increase the agility in my fingers. I am optimistic this will help.

My Schedule

As it stands now I am making definite forward progress in Operation Garbage Plate. My next dilation procedure is tentatively scheduled for October 9th and hopefully we will hit the 14MM mark this time around. To keep things moving forward I am trying to at least eat small amounts throughout the day that maximize the use of my esophagus to keep it from closing back up. This week I have a CT Scan on Friday that is my 6 month followup. It hasn't quite been six months since the end of treatment but its close enough. I was told it could take 7-8 months for most of the recovery process to happen and at the 1 year mark I would have a good idea of the ball park I would be in.