Bookluvr, I'm sure that many of us at some time have felt badly that our care resulted in less than desirable results. There are SO many variables when caring for older people (including myself!) that I don't think we can possibly be aware of all of them. Your choice was sincere; that's what's important.
CM, you raise good points. I still wonder what ingredient in Ensure contributes to bleeding. I'm wondering if it's not the lactose intolerance issue but rather some specific chemical additive in the Ensure.
It makes me sooooo sad that your conclusion, at the end of this complicated and unusual situation with your father, is that you contributed to his stomach bleeding and were to blame.
I can think of lots of reasons to prefer all kinds of approaches to nutrition before Ensure, which I personally consider the sputum of Satan on taste grounds alone; but gastric bleeding? I'm sure the ER doc followed a sound process of deduction but I have to say it's a new one to me.
GardenArtist, I don't know, either. The surgeon asked me a lot of questions about my dad's diet. The ER and the surgeon concluded that he's bleeding in the stomach. When my niece, a nurse, visited my dad in the ER, she said something about the way the blood is coming out of his mouth points to stomach bleeding. Whenever I gave dad Ensure, he would have watery BM. I admitted to the surgeon that giving him Ensure was my 'get to' solution whenever he became constipated. And he would complain that he needed to poop but it won't come out. I would give him Ensure. And then he's pooping again... I don't know. The surgeon looked at me and said that my dad was lactose intolerant and 'You do know that Ensure has milk.' .. Needless to say, I felt so bad that I contributed to his stomach bleeding - by using Ensure milk to make him have BM.
Bookluvr, can you elaborate on how the Ensure contributed to bleeding? I'm shocked to learn this. It didn't happen to my father, to my knowledge, but I'm curious b/c it was recommended as the supplement of choice by so many doctors.
Make sure that whoever is going to take Ensure isn't lactose intolerant. I did not know that my dad was lactose intolerant. I gave it to him once in a while to help him have bowel movements. Plus the protein it provides. I guess he really was intolerant with it because he ended up having a bleeding stomach... The ER doctor asked me what his diet was. She narrowed it down to the Ensure as a possible culprit for the bleeding.
IMO ensure and supplements like it should only be used if there is no other way to get enough calories in a day, real food is always best. I gave them to my mom because she would still drink those even though she said she didn't want any dinner, it was also easier to rely on them on busy/stressful days because preparing a modified dysphagia diet takes a lot of time and planning.
8 Answers
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
CM, you raise good points. I still wonder what ingredient in Ensure contributes to bleeding. I'm wondering if it's not the lactose intolerance issue but rather some specific chemical additive in the Ensure.
It makes me sooooo sad that your conclusion, at the end of this complicated and unusual situation with your father, is that you contributed to his stomach bleeding and were to blame.
I can think of lots of reasons to prefer all kinds of approaches to nutrition before Ensure, which I personally consider the sputum of Satan on taste grounds alone; but gastric bleeding? I'm sure the ER doc followed a sound process of deduction but I have to say it's a new one to me.
ADVERTISEMENT
Do you think they are not giving drinks?
Do you think they are NOT drinking , or are unable?
Is this in hospice care?