David Rowland, age 85, has been nourished from food, not chewed, and swallowed, but inserted into his stomach through a permanently placed tube, for the past 12 years following treatment for stage 3 head and neck cancer. His primary site of the cancer was the base of his tongue but then spread to 3 lymph nodes in his neck. Radical neck dissection surgery and 37 radiation treatments later, David’s cancer, a tough one, was in submission.
Many different illnesses, some chronic and some temporary, lead to the placing of a feeding tube. While some people can continue to eat food normally and supplement their diet with tube feeding, David cannot. He can put something tasty in his mouth enjoying the flavor and the aroma, but he cannot swallow it. He must remove it.
“I had a lot of tubies help me as I was lost at first. I was so grateful for their help. But I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to let it rob me of my life. I pressed on and learned all I could. All of us tubies share all we can with others. “
One does not have to think very long about this to understand that this impacts a person’s social life as well. Want to meet for breakfast at that diner? Can we meet for coffee at the new coffee shop? How about joining us for dinner on Friday night? David has bravely adjusted to his situation, and has spent many hours on the road, on the phone, and on his computer providing support and encouragement to others who also must feed themselves through a tube. His support includes “technical” help regarding the gadgets, connectors, and tubes, but even more importantly the emotional support needed to face social situations, questions from others, and the development of a strong sense of humor. He is currently trying hard to help a woman get through her first year without being able to eat food orally at all. It is a loss.
Over the years David has met many tube feeders including Tom Dawson, an attorney who travels, a lot, while tube feeding and who invented the shirt in the photo here that has a zipper in the middle. The shirt is designed to make tube feeding more convenient and discreet. To read more about Tom Dawson and his journeys around the world while tube feeding, go here and to purchase the shirt here.
David also met a man in his 60’s who had not eaten food since the 9th grade through the Oley Foundation, which has many support groups on -line to help tube feeders all over the world, whether tube feeding is permanent or temporary, for children or adults.
David has found many ways to remain in community with others without “breaking bread” together. He has played basketball, sung in a barbershop quartet, participated actively in church, and with his family. He stays connected – in more ways than one! To hear David in his own words watch this video courtesy of the Oley Foundation here.
Sources:
- David Rowland
- The Oley Foundation: Oley Foundation
- The National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders: https://swallowingdisorderfoundation.com/
