Only in Print

Only in Print: 'Normal but different' -- Living with a feeding tube requires adaptability

By MIKE CULLITY
New Hampshire Union Leader

Published Feb 5, 2012 at 3:00 am (Updated Feb 4, 2012)

Carol Pelissier displays the feeding tube and pump that she carries in her fanny pack.

(DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
Carol Pelissier, who has used a feeding tube for 17 years, at her Manchester home last week. DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER
Carol Pelissier, who has been tube fed or 17 years, at her Manchester home on Tuesday. DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER
Close-up of Carol Pelissier's ( Pelissier) feeding tube, pump and instructional manual. DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER

Because she never leaves home without her fanny pack, Carol Pelissier is easy to mistake for a tourist.

But despite not traveling often, Pelissier has been on an unexpected journey for the past 17 years, and the contents of her fanny pack are what keep her going.

Diagnosed in 1995 with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a rare digestive disorder, Pelissier has undergone many surgeries since, including the removal of her large intestine. As a result, the 54-year-old Manchester resident requires constant enteral nutrition — that is, feeding through a tube implanted in her midsection.

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