I bet you didn't expect that. I recently explained that neither dementia nor mental confusion are symptoms of ALS.
Let's travel back in time a little. We fixed the tubes of the PEG and bladder catheter at my express wish. Why? Because not a day goes by without someone accidentally pulling on them. Just today, less than an hour ago, the bladder catheter was clamped so tightly that it simply tore off the fixation during storage and then pulled directly on the tail. Anyone who claims in such frequent moments that it didn't pull there at all should put in a bladder catheter and pull gently on it. Then we'll talk more.
Now there are a number of reasons why you don't do that, the fixation. I was allowed to discuss this long and hard with my nursing service until in the end I pulled the patient joker. According to the motto, it's my body, I want the fixation. My health insurance, which I pay, pays your salary. Apart from the several thousand euros of my own contribution, which I pay directly, and the many thousands of euros of your boss's bill, which I even used to pay you twice.
But one Monday (by the way, I publish my posts +/- 3 months in order to rule out any conclusions about who was on duty) I heard for the first time that the fixation was attacking and destroying the PEG tube. Which is already visible with mine. I can't see that and it's a mystery to me why the adhesive of the dressing should only attack the tube when it's laid on the fly ... but hey, am I the expert? Okay, my Bavarian A-levels in chemistry are impressive, but I didn't specialise in adhesives. Back then, I was more interested in topics like ecological waste utilisation. I'd have to look through my old documents, some of the presentations are sadly more relevant than ever today - 25 years later.
I'm rambling deliciously again. Anyway, I let myself be persuaded to give it another try.
If I had bet on what would happen, I could have made a lot of money. Of course, everyone, and I mean everyone, pulled the PEG hose. Most of the times it's not bad, but I'm always afraid of such things. On this subject, too, I have found that those who most often shake their heads at their own colleagues are no better. It's not entirely clear to me how you manage to keep pulling on the tube even during bolus administration.
And so it took less than 48 hours before a carer got stuck on the PEG tube and, as usual, couldn't connect my pain-filled facial expression with it. By the time I had managed to type „PEG tube“, there were already crazy ideas in the room about where I was supposedly in pain. And the puncture site of my PEG was bleeding. Great. We've finally been free of pain, bleeding and purulent, infectious wounds on the PEG for just six weeks.
Comment from the carer - Quote - „Oops! Have you pulled the PEG again?“
Any more questions, Kienzle?
After six days, the wound has still not healed. Despite daily dressing changes and Lavanid application, new purulent exudate appears every day. This suggests an infection. If it's not much better tomorrow, I'll probably have to see my doctor again. It's starting to get quite embarrassing...
