In article >,
Goomba > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> >>> No, stomach tube installed thru the navel.
> >>>
> >>>
> >> actually it is never placed through the navel itself. It is placed in
> >> the abdominal wall into either the stomach or lower down into the jejunum.
> >
> > Ok, Alex showed me his and that's what it looked like...
>
> To an untrained eye, I guess it might? The stomach and jejunum are
> higher up though. It is usually off center also. Simple procedure, we do
> them routinely on traumas if they're going to require nutritional
> support for weeks and they're preferable to nasal or oral tubes for many
> reasons. We can pop it out and let the stoma heal shut when they're
> improved enough for oral nutrition.

Ok. You are a surgical nurse, I'm only a lab tech. We know just enough
to be dangerous. <g>

> >
> >> It would make me miserable to have to have one of those when I love food
> >> so. I can imagine how depressing it is?
> >
> > He did ok. The thing that made him the most miserable indeed was being
> > unable to swallow. I really felt for him.
>
> Not swallowing wouldn't bother me (I think?) near as much as not tasting.

He only had 1/2 his tongue and the rest was damaged by radiation
treatment.

> >
> > He'd come to me (knowing I was ok with doing some stuff) with a slide
> > with a tongue scraping asking if I could look for fungus as he thought
> > that is what he had. It was negative. He told me later that it turned
> > out to be cancer. <sigh> I was sad.
> >
> Smoker?

No. Chemical exposure from a previous job is what he told me.
He was never a smoker.

> I take care of those patients at times when they're very
> unstable and those face/neck wounds are horrendous. Seeing a couple of
> those should be a "scared straight" advertisement for not picking up
> cigs, IMO.

IMHO the most HORRIBLE picture I ever saw in class was the cancer from a
pipe smoker. They hold the smoke in their mouths longer.

>
> >> I know of someone who lost his
> >> sense of smell and I wonder how much he enjoys food now?
> >
> > Older people tend to have that happen to them. I wonder how much of
> > that can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies? Dad seems to be able to
> > taste ok, but I know he does not smell as well as he used to, by his own
> > admission.
>
> Older folks tastebuds often diminish, but I've not heard that the sense
> of smell diminishes so much? Perhaps? This man I was thinking of was
> younger though. He has a lot of years ahead of him to not smell things!
> I need to ask how his enjoyment of food is?

He loves my cooking. :-) So I'm encouraged somewhat by that... He's
also been ok lately with simpler veggies, not overly spiced seems to be
his preference.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama