After over a year and a half of nothing by mouth - only a JPEG tube - my husband is now able to eat and ENJOY yogurt, applesauce, custard, coffee, water, and mashed potatoes and gravy!!! Who could have anticipated this? About three weeks ago I had to put him in a personal care home. This is a private home with a couple who have years of experience caring for older individuals. They take in two people to care for. Currently, they only have my husband and he is getting spoiled with all the attention!
The man of the couple is the cook and he was really frustrated that my husband could not swallow. He was anticipating being able to cook regular meals. I'm not really sure how they got the idea to try feeding him but I am so happy that they did. This has made my husband really perk up and he loves it so much. The hospice nurse has checked with the doctor and they both approve and encourage this feeding. Just cautioning them to be very careful.
Has anyone else ever had this happen? Can anyone explain the physiology behind it? Nothing else about my husband has improved. It is all a down hill path. And, needless to say, I feel guilty that I didn't try this for all the time I had him at home. All we ever tried was a little coffee every now and then which he managed to swallow most of the time with a little coughing.
Caroline