Feeding tube failure

Not gonna lie, this was not a good day.  We were looking forward to getting the peg (Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube) inserted so Les could get more nutrients, AND more water into him.  The tube would also make it easier to take his pills - he often chokes while taking them.  I was kinda emotional this past week getting over the fact that we had arrived at this point of the disease, but we were both glad to get the procedure done.

A new place for us!

We arrived at UW at noon and Les was taken away by 2:00.  He couldn't eat since last night so was very hungry!  Also, he had lost 2 more pounds since last week; he weighed 198.  He hasn't been under 200 for a very long time!!

Anyway, they called me back to recovery about 3:00.  Les had an oxygen mask on since he had some trouble breathing while under sedation -  common with ALS patients.  I didn't like the look of that..... The nurse told me right away they were not able to put the peg tube in because Les' stomach is very high and under his rib cage.  When the tube went thru his mouth and down his throat it's supposed to inflate his stomach and then push against the skin, but it didn't happen that way.  The doctor came and explained in a little more detail.  I was trying not to burst into tears at this point!  There is another way to go in from the outside and insert a tube; we will wait to hear from Dr. Weiss about that procedure.  Les was VERY disappointed when he woke up and we had to tell him.  He was also very sleepy ;)

Funny side note, our discharge nurse knew we had a Dutch name and said she was from Michigan.  We told her Les was from northwest Iowa; she said her dad was a professor at Dordt College.  I asked his name - and he was one of my business professors!!  Can you believe it???  We also went to the same church after we were married with that professor.  She was very sweet and very concerned about Les (he had a couple choking spells while drinking some juice while recovering).

We are on our way home.  Not what we had hoped for today.