Victorious_one
The End of TPN?
Apr 14, 2011
So, I've been on TPN since the end of January. It has made all the difference in my health and well-being. I'm blessed by God to have had it as a resource for this long.My NUT from the infusion company called me to check up on me. She reviewed my labs with me. I'm a bit anemic, and I don't drink enough water so my BUN is high. Everything else is normal. She's concerned about my Vitamin D because of where it was when I first started, and the infusion company hasn't been testing it. I'm due a big set of labs at the end of the month, and I switched to 50,000 iu's of D recently, so hopefully I'm on the upswing if I'm not already at normal.
She asked me how much I'd been eating. I've been keeping track of every single protein and carb gram for months now, so I could tell her. She asked me about calories, which of course mean nothing to us DSers, but I guess it gave her an idea of how much I was putting away. When I told her that I was putting away at least 1300 calories per day, usually WAY more (like 2100), she praised me. Then the conversation turned!
So she asked me how often I was on TPN, and I said every other day. She said, "how do you feel about that?"
I love a little free therapy anywhere I can get it! I was like, "I don't like it!" She said, "how would you feel about coming off of TPN?" And I was like "great!" She said that because I was eating well, and because my numbers were normal, she would recommend that I come off of TPN. I should dance and shout here, right? But I got SCARED! So I was all:
*Can I keep in my PICC line for a while just in case I need it?
*Can y'all just come by for a few weeks and draw blood to make sure I'm still OK?
*Can you please keep me on speed dial? I'm scared out here!
The NUT was all "Nope, we're taking everything. That PICC line might get infected, blah blah." I was all freaked out! She said that they'd have to ask Greenbaum what he thought "as a courtesy" before they did it. I said it's no courtesy, it's mandatory because without his eagle eye from 3 hours away I might be in ICU right now.
So, for a day I heard nothing. I figured they'd either delivery my infusion as usual yesterday, or someone would call me.
Mr. Pharmacist called and was like, "so yeah, your doctor agrees that you can come off TPN. We'll leave your PICC line in for 3 weeks and monitor your blood work."
Yeah, baby, I love it when things go my way!
Yippee! Last night was my (prayerfully) last TPN infusion.
So now, I have to eat like a real DSer. I have nothing to fall back on. I have to EAT my nutrition. None of this in-the-vein crap like some kind of heroin addict. I have to force myself to eat beyond what's comfortable if I haven't had enough protein. I have to prioritize my nutrition over my own comfort. It's scary!
So, like this morning. I usually drink 1.5 protein shakes, for 75 grams of protein. Well, now I have to drink 2 full shakes and probably add two eggs every day. Now to most DSers, that's nothing. But I have to work up to that, even at 10 months out. My sleeve is extremely temperamental. When that chick don't wanna eat, she's close up like a pierced ear. When she's starving, she'll make enough noise to raise the dead until she gets whatever it is she wants. She's like independent of me! It's like carrying a baby in there!
But I'm glad to be on the mend. I feel really blessed.
Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts. I need HELP eating this food! At least I'm not puking anymore. Hallelujah all day! You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish when your head is not hanging over a toilet.
And, since last week, it's great to lose a pound a day. Oh yeah. It's great to be free!
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About Me
South Central, PA
Location
21.1
BMI
Surgery
06/07/2010
Surgery Date
Jan 13, 2007
Member Since
