Just finished a pleasant five day stay at NY Presbyterian with a combination stricture / small bowel obstruction.
Admitted Sunday after J-pouch decided to cease operations for 36 hours. Bilious vomiting Sunday night with an NG tube placed post haste to alleviate the constant gastric back pressure as described above. Successful procedure on Wednesday to dilate the stricture and use a balloon to clear the 'kink' causing the SBO.
While placing the NG, and I could well be wrong, but recall the 3rd year telling the 1st year that '55 cm" of tubing needed to be entered (I thought I saw them use a sharpie to mark the tube but, again, I wasn't in such a great place to notice things). Around 21", this seems to be about right though I defer to others on their experiences / areas of knowledge.
Placement is one of the more uncomfortable experiences for me. Always triggers more vomiting, an on-going gag reflex and continual irritation at the back of the throat. With all the fantastic scientific / medical achievements, can't someone pls come up with a low-pain, low-impact method to relieve gastric juices?! You would think...
Clear fluids on Wednesday with soft solids on Thursday both tolerated well. Home on Friday and my sheets never felt so good.