Yum...Gatorade and Crisco

As previously posted, Alex's TPN is a little different than it has been in the KC hospitals. Instead of steak and eggs, we call this one Gatorade and Crisco... So far, he gets a big bag of yellow stuff that consists of all the vitamins, minerals, calories and other nutrients that is hung every night and for the last two night has run for 24 hours. They just hung his latest bag, which will run for 18 hours since he tolerated the 24 hour at full calorie one so well (meaning his blood sugar, electrolytes, and other levels in his blood stayed very stable). If all of those things continue to stay stable, he will be leveled down to a 12 hour bag the following night. They level down (or "cycle" as the TPN team calls it) very carefully and slowly with frequent blood labs to monitor how he is handling it. Any adjustments will then be made for his final bag on Monday night and we should be heading home sometime on Tuesday (subject to change at any time depending on how he does). If all goes as well as it has so far, he will only have to be hooked up at night and be free from the bag and pump during the day. This is both the most convenient and the safest option for him. He is on a "weight gain" formula as to make him safely and slowly gain weight even without eating.


The hospital here gives lipids separately (i.e., Crisco) and only three times a week (Mon, Wed, and Fri). The pic below is of last nights lipid/nutrient combo. It sounds like he will only get the lipids about once a week when we are at home.