@ltecato
I had a feeding tube for a bit over a year. 2014-2015. I never aspirated, but was cautioned that I could. I was to be at a 35° angle when sleeping. I just slept in my recliner. My feeding was 24 hours to begin with. A pump was set to pump so much in me.. formula and water. I could eat soft foods and progressed to solid food. I had to maintain weight for I think it was six weeks before they would remove the tube.

My esophagus does not work… and the sphincter to my stomach does not work well. If the sphincter to my stomach does not open the food stacks in my esophagus. Sometimes I get nauseous and vomit and other times food just comes up. I go have my esophagus dilated… stretched ever once in awhile. So far it helps.

I did not have a stoma on the outside… it was just the tube. I cut a small piece of gauze to go around it and taped the tube in place. It was tape that does not rip your skin off.. can't think of the name right now, I changed it morning and evening… cleaning it. If it got irritated the doctor said I could put antibiotic cream around it.. but not on the rim of the hole. It kept infections at bay. I have pain where the tube was especially if I sit an hour or more.

I did not like the feeding tube one bit!! It did keep me alive. In 2018 they said if I did not gain weight I would need to go back on the feeding tube, I was taking care of my mama and it was difficult for me to take care of me too. My mama had another stroke in Dec 2019 and had to go in a nursing home for rehab Jan 2020. She did not do well with rehab. Covid hit bad in mid March and we could not visit. Another stroke in June and the fatal one August last year.

I gained a lot of weight since… inactivity with two thumb surgeries.. same thumb.. last year and this year SI (sacroiliac) joint fusion and vaginal wall repair. My husband is saying “what next?” 😂 I am doing better … I just need to eat better and exercise more.

You will figure out what is best for you. Write out the pros and cons.

On the chewing… frequent meals and having to chew well… my jaws hurt. I have an overbite that makes it hard to bite… so chopped, tender meats for me.

ZeeGee