News from Boston - 4 - The tube

People often approach us on the street to ask about the yellow tube coming out of Maarten's nose. I'd figured that maybe some of you are also wondering about that, so here is a little post on our friend-with-an-attitude: the tube. The tube is to make sure that Maarten gets his milk, water and medications. It is going through his nose straight to his stomach, and we have a little matching backpack that delivers milk continuously.
Since the tumor was rapped around nerves involved in swallowing, the surgery 10 month ago damaged this zone and Maarten has been using the tube since then. Though Maarten has fully recovered his swallow capacity by now, the simple view of a piece of bread can trigger a gag. He simply has to learn again to use his mouth. The people of the 'food-therapy' warned us that it may take a good while before he can eat a 10-year old camembert. Ah well, we will find a way to push it through the tube!