Well, I’ve been on TPN for about 2 months now. I have to say, it is turning out to be a lot easier on my body than tube feeding was. I find it a lot easier to keep up on the schedule. With tube feeding I would adjust it to how I was feeling and more often than not, I would get less calories than I should have been getting. This was mostly due to my recent diagnosis of CIIP (chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction). I have written up quite a bit of information on tube feeding and my experiences with it but since I have been on TPN, I thought I would switch over and give out some information on that.
TPN stands for Total Parenteral Nutrition. It is basically food broken down into its basic elemental form and is delivered through a vein. I did have it going through a vein in my upper arm via PICC but due to my wishful thinking lifestyle and length of time needing TPN, it was not a great option. So last month they placed a portacath under my skin, sutured the port to my chest wall and tunneled a catheter from the port into a vein in my neck and down to my Superior Vena Cava (SVC). I was let go that day.
Not going to lie to anyone, the procedure hurt and recovery time was long. The whole site was swollen a good 3 weeks post-op. But now, when it is reaccessed during a needle and dressing change, it doesn’t hurt barely at all. Long as the person doing it knows what they are doing !
Anyway, this weekend we are taking a pre-emptive approach to my pain, discomfort, nausea and fatigue via medication. I’m taking my medicine before things get bad in hopes to catch it early enough to keep me out of the ER. I now have IV zofran which so far has proven to be helpful. Victor has noticed a change for the better. Don’t know why – but hey, I’ll take it. I also had the energy to start and finish my TPN pages. Please feel free to read through them. The Scrub video can be found there! New photo section up as well.
