I honestly can't believe this was ever an issue, but it was twice! It's very basic knowledge that the flat part of a PEG tube bumper sits against the skin. Yet, I had two interventional radiologists put the bumper “stem” against my skin and the flat part facing away from my body!

Incident #1

I had developed some friction irritation from a rectangular bumper on a PEG and requested a round one. My insurance requires me to get my PEG tubes replaced by an interventional radiologist, so I woke up bright and early for my appointment at the local IR clinic.

I already wasn't looking forward to the appointment. Every time I'd been to this clinic, the staff would completely ignore me unless one was asking me something. I'd try to talk to them and say something, but they always acted like I wasn't there at all. I'm pretty sure that I could miraculously do a backflip and they wouldn't react.

The clinic is also not accessible! The procedure table doesn't raise or lower in the slightest; it has a set of stairs in front of it that would block them from putting a gurney beside it. Other places have enough room for a gurney to roll beside it so that you can raise the gurney to the table's height and just slide over - but not this one! So, in order to get on the table, we have to either have someone pick me up or two people helping me get up on the steps leading to the table. When you have a damaged cerebellum, anything like that is terrifying and feels like you could easily fall!

I brought a clamp to be added to the tube before placement; this has to be put on by removing the bumper, sliding the clamp on, and then putting the bumper back on. I couldn't see much when they did that and placed it (I was covered with a sheet, like they put around the area they're working on during a surgery). I (wrongly) assumed that they would do it correctly and went home.

When it was time to change the gauze, I saw the new tube for the first time. I was completely shocked to see that the bumper was upside down! This particular one was stiff and the surface felt like a sharp fingernail constantly against my skin.

It hurt.

I called them and was in a rage. I told them what the issue was and was put on hold for a minute. The guy came back and said, “we - uhhhhh… we - uhhhh… we did that on purpose because there's a big hole so it will fit down in there and be better. “

I let him know that the “big hole” was, in fact, the stoma that the tube is put in and supposed to be there. I mentioned that it was very painful - I already had a sore from it. He stuttered and stumbled a little bit before getting an annoyed tone.

“Well if you have to have it the other way, we could put it on the other way.”

I didn't feel like dealing with them again, so I just fixed it myself with the help of my mom.