Still blending away

This is more of an informational post for anyone who is curious about Andrew’s daily life on the blenderized diet. Here is a sample of Andrew’s daily schedule, which starts whenever he wakes up:

8 am: Eat 5 ounces of blenderized food through his tube.
10 am: Drink 10 ounces of water through his tube.
12 am: Eat 5 more ounces of blenderized food through his tube.
2 pm: Drink 10 ounces of water through his tube.
4 pm: Eat 5 more ounces of blenderized food through his tube.
6 pm: Drink 10 ounces of water through his tube.
8 pm: Eat 5 more ounces of blenderized food through his tub.

Basically, he is given something in his tube approximately every two hours while he is awake. We alternate between food and drink.

We have found that Andrew will throw up his food if the following guidelines are not carefully followed:

We’ve experimented with volume quite a bit and found that he is only able to keep down 5 ounces of food at a time and 10 ounces of water at a time. We cannot combine the 5 ounces of food and 10 ounces of water into one feed because he throws it up. Two hours is about the right time when his body is ready for more food or drink.

He stools twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. If he misses a stool for whatever reason, he throws up.

If he is not well-rested (skips his nap for example, or did not sleep well at night), he will throw up.

He must be burped really well after each feed and drink or he will throw up.

It seems like a lot to keep track of but one gets used to it and it becomes second nature. Keep all these variables in check–which is most of the time–and we have a happy and healthy Andrew.

I have largely stopped measuring calories so meticulously with his blends. However, here is a sample blend I recently made him:

1.5 pounds of ground beef
2 cups of prune juice
1 cup of chocolate soy milk
1 cup frozen veggies
1 cup frozen fruit
1/2 a cup of Kale
1 whole banana
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1/2 cup of blueberries
8 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/2 cup of cauliflower
8 scoops of Duocal

Each blend typically lasts about 1.5 days.

One Response to Still blending away

Gina says:

June 5, 2013 at 7:39 pm

Hi
I’ve recently discovered your blog it’s a real wealth of Information and so interesting to read your family’s story. I’m so pleased Andrew is getting on so well with the blenderized diet. I wanted to ask you a few questions about it as I want to try it for one of my 17 month old twin boys who, like Andrew, has cp, cystic pvl and has had a gastrostomy since he was 9 months old. He has put on some weight since having the tube but not as much as I’d hoped he also suffered from reflux and has terrible wind and diaorhea. He is still breast feeding but hasnt taken to a bottle and can’t manage much pureed food he is also fed formula through his tube. I just wanted to ask if a vitamix type blender is essential and what are the benefits? As I need to apply for funding for one. Also the ground beef in this recipe how do you cook it before hand? What rate in mls per hour do you do Andrews feeds? I really would like to try a real food diet I have the backing of our dietician I just need to gather more information before we give it a go. I too have reservations about the Nissen operation and think it may replace one set of problems with another and also I was told at our hospital Great Ormand St that this op is less successful with neurologically impaired children. Sorry for the long post. All the best to you and your family.
Thanks Gina