It is easy, especially on a bad day, to see only what artificial nutrition has taken away. It is worth remembering what it gives back.
- Everything your body needs. Protein, energy, fats, vitamins and minerals, in the right amounts for you.
- Strength and energy. When the body is fed properly, there is more energy for living, not just for getting through the day.
- Healing. Wounds, surgery and illness heal better in a well fed body.
- A body better able to cope with illness. Being underfed makes it harder to fight infection. The line or tube itself brings its own risk of infection, which is why the care routines matter so much.
- Time at home. Being able to feed at home means less time in hospital and more time with the people you love.
- A life to live. People on artificial nutrition work, travel, walk mountains, raise families and build communities like this one.
Both things are true at once. It is hard, and it is a gift. Some days one feels bigger than the other, and that is alright.
Remember: artificial nutrition is always prescribed and monitored by a medical team, because of the risks that come with it. See the risks to know about.