‘Tis the Season Tubie Jolly: Managing Holiday Season & Tube Feeding

Holiday season: the inspiration for countless classic songs, thousands of cheesy movies, and every retail promotion you can think of. For some, the holiday hustle means excitedly prepping for a season full of fun, family, and food comas. However, for others, the ever-present weight of Thanksgiving cornucopias and Christmas commercials is a crushing reminder of medical differences and mealtime isolation.

The challenges that come with holiday season as a member of the tube-fed community are plentiful: Preparing to leave your home and travel to gatherings, communicating your needs with your hosts and other guests, setting realistic expectations for your family and those around you, wrestling with the emotions of mealtime loneliness, and so many more.

If this time of the year always leaves you feeling overwhelmed by an endless list of challenges, keep reading for some helpful tips to navigate the season with ease.

Challenges and Solutions

Travel

Just leaving the house can be tedious when tasked with the responsibility of packing everything needed to feed on-the-go, not to mention any other seasonal goodies you’ve offered to bring.

Creating a travel list of everything essential for a safe and stress-free trip can be the difference between comfort and chaos. Your list can include things like:

Formula
Vitamix, Blendtec, or other solid food blender
Water for flushing
Syringes
Feeding pump
Towels, wipes, and tape
Emergency kit for the car
Comfort items

Additionally, you can create a list of formula names, nutrition measurements, medicine dosages, pump and flushing schedules, and feeding times. This can alleviate some anxiety about emergencies, and can even create an opportunity for you to take a break during the gathering.

Bonus tip: To keep your lists mess-free, store them in an easily wipeable sheet cover.

Communication

Many times, discomfort can stem from family or friends struggling to understand the differences between your day and theirs. Confusion about mealtimes or privacy can lead to even more holiday stress, and sometimes even tension.

Skip the strain by communicating your or your child’s needs ahead of time. Share a tentative schedule with fellow guests, or something as simple as a friendly ‘heads-up’, to remind them that your day won’t be identical to theirs.

Similarly, your hosts may benefit from knowing what you need from them before the day-of. Be sure to send along a list of feeding staples, such as:

A private space
A restroom away from other guests
An area to house your equipment
Refrigerator space to store nutrients

Expectations and Boundaries

As a member of the tube-fed community, you’re likely accustomed to setting realistic expectations for yourself or your child. Though it may be tempting to attend every holiday gathering, deck your halls with holiday garb, and embrace old traditions while also creating new ones, it’s crucial to consider what will be both feasible and realistic for your household.

Hand picking the events that you commit your family to can be exceptionally helpful for your or your child’s well-being. Choosing gatherings that are likely to be flexible around your needs, as well as politely declining occasions that may be turbulent, can make all the difference for your loved ones. After all, the holidays are supposed to be relaxing!

Similarly to aligning your expectations with reality, it’s important to set boundaries at functions you do attend. Sometimes, family or friends may feel unsure about how to approach discussions about feeding tubes. It can be helpful to provide a few conversation topics to guide them on what to say and how to involve you or your child. Topics could include:

Do you prefer people to ask questions about tube feeding, or would you rather it not be a topic of conversation at all?
If you’re open to questions, let others know that it’s okay to make mistakes in wording, as long as they’re inquiring respectfully.
What term would you prefer to be used—”tubie,” “tube-fed,” “person with a feeding tube,” or something else?
Let family and friends know if expressions of sympathy make you feel uncomfortable or awkward.

Isolation

Holiday meals and traditions can feel remarkably isolating as a tubie or caretaker. Gathering the courage to sit at the table for a holiday meal can be anxiety-inducing enough, not to mention coming up with conversation topics that steer the discussion away from food once you’re actually there.

Some conversation topics that don’t involve food include:

What’s the best memory you have that includes the people around the table?
What are your New Year’s resolutions?
Is there anything you wanted to do this year that you haven’t done yet?
What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever received from a holiday gift exchange?
What is one thing you hope to be thankful for next year?

Sometimes, food-based conversation is inevitable – especially as we drift closer to Thanksgiving. For some, simply experiencing the nourishment of their Thanksgiving meal brings about similar feelings of warmth and belonging as actually tasting it. In such cases, blended recipes can make a world of difference!

Try this blended Thanksgiving dinner blended recipe, written with care by Registered Dietitian, Hilarie Geurink:

Ingredients:

3 oz turkey breast, cooked
¼ cup mashed potatoes
¼ cup green bean casserole
1 small dinner roll
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup broth or water

Directions:

Add food and liquid to your blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes, or until completely liquified and with no chunks
You may need to strain the mixture if not smooth after blending

Nutrition Information:

Yields about 480mL
Approximately 535 calories
32 g of protein

Exact nutritional content may vary depending on measurements, brands, or food types.

Key Takeaways

The holidays can be stressful, especially for those who have to do significantly more preparation for a season that’s meant to be relaxing and fulfilling. End-of-year activities come with a list of challenges – traveling to events, discussing you or your child’s needs with others, setting practical goals, communicating boundaries, and wrestling with feelings of isolation.

While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by each of these hurdles, it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Your loved ones, close friends, and the entire team here at AMT are with you every step of the way.

For a comprehensive guide on successfully traveling with your tube-fed child, click here.

Disclaimer: Anything contained in this blog is general information only and is not, nor should it be, interpreted to be medical advice. Always consult with a qualified physician and/or a health care provider for medical advice.

References

Navigating the Holiday Season with a Tube Fed Person Compleat Nutrition

Now That I Can Only Eat With A Feeding Tube, Thanksgiving Has A New Meaning For Me HuffPost