This Enteral Feeder's Story Is Food for
Thought
Rick's soaring spirit and no-is-not-an-option attitude have served
him well throughout his life, but never so much as after he
suffered a stroke in December 2000.
Within weeks, Rick, then 57 years-old and president and CEO of
Salt Lake's Convention and Visitors Bureau, had put himself on a
fast track to recovery. In record time, he abandoned the walker
that had accompanied him home from rehab and, despite considerable
fatigue, was able to walk greater distances unassisted. Similarly,
he had regained his speech with the help of speech therapists. But
eating and drinking were proving to be a bit of a challenge. Rick's
inability to swallow had necessitated use of a feeding tube, which
he assumed was temporary.
Condition Proves Tough to Swallow
As a result of the stroke, the muscles controlling Rick's esophagus
had been paralyzed. Now as focused on swallowing, as he had been on
walking and talking, Rick plunged into the search for a solution.
He visited a small army of doctors and specialists, including one
of the nation's leading swallowing therapists who prescribed
exercises, which Rick did faithfully up to 12 times a day for six
months. Other treatments attempted were Botox injections into the
throat muscles and dilation of the sphincter at the top of the
esophagus. Ultimately, Rick was told that along with the
sphincter, all the muscles of the esophagus that permit swallowing
were paralyzed.
Along the way, a caring and informed dietitian told Rick about
the Oley Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group for the enteral
feeding community. Rick signed on for his first Oley conference,
where he met people like him and some who wanted to be more like
him. He also stopped by a Kimberly-Clark display booth and
discovered the Kimberly-Clark* MIC-KEY* Low-Profile Gastrostomy
Feeding Tube.
Recalls Rick, "I came home and said, 'Wow, I want one of those!'
But my GI doctor had never heard of the MIC-KEY. I had the brochure
and saw that it was made in Utah, so I went over to the factory,
bought one and brought it to my doctor and told him to put it
in."
"The MIC-KEY was huge in terms of improving the quality of my
life. It has a low-profile, is easy to insert (he does it himself),
and doesn't get caught in my shirts or the bed sheets. It's about
freedom and mobility." It also meant an end to the constant stoma
irritation he had been experiencing. Simply put, it was a
breakthrough, especially combined with Rick's discovery of portable
equipment, which permitted him to feed on the road and travel more
easily-allowing him to return to the lifestyle he once knew and
loved.
Grand Canyon, Anyone?
Ten years later, Rick retired in Florida, but he has not slowed
down. In addition to surfing and body boarding, he hiked across the
Grand Canyon nine times since his stroke.
At the beach in Florida
Having lunch on a hike
Rick is the first enteral tube feeder to be nominated and serve
as president of the Oley Foundation. He's also a board member of
the National Ability Center, the American Stroke Association and is
president of his local men's club. He takes his role as an
ambassador for enteral feeding patients seriously, speaking at
various events as well as mentoring and counseling other feeding
tube patients.
