Can You Swim With a Feeding Tube
A question that comes up frequently for tubies in the summer is can you swim with a tube? The answer is yes! But you may have some limitations and swimming with a tube often requires some adaptations. It depends on how new your tube is and what kind of water you wish to swim in. Always ask your doctor and follow the advice of your medical team.
You can shower soon after tube placement and once your tube tract has healed (usually 6-8 weeks after it was placed, but always listen to your doctor or surgeon), your tube is safe to get wet in baths, chlorinated pools, and the ocean without covering it.
If you have an infinity pump, which is somewhat water resistant, you can even stay connected while you swim if you put the pump in a dry bag, a watertight bag used for kayaking. The dry bag will no longer be watertight because you have to run the tube from the feed set out the corner of the bag, but this works if you are just splashing around and want to stay connected. For the pump to not alarm the entire time, you need to make sure you get all the air out of the feed bag first (the feed bag and pump can then run in any orientation) or you need to keep the formula bag upright in the dry bag. If you are going to do serious swimming I suggest disconnecting from your pump. And again, the infinity pump is the only one I know of that is at all water resistant. Do not try this with a Joey pump.
If you want to swim in freshwater lakes and rivers you need to be more cautious. Some tubies swim in lakes without covering their tubes, but I am a bit more careful because I had a tube infection which was very painful so I take steps to protect my feeding tube stoma when swimming in water that I don't know is clean. I should note, though, that waterproofing your tube means you can't be hooked up and running feeds while swimming.
If you have a button style feeding tube you should be able to easily cover that with a bandage. I have a "dangler" GJ tube which sticks out of my body about a foot. Before swimming in lakes I use large (8x12in) tegaderm, available on amazon, to cover my tube. I then use waterproof tape to seal the edges for added protection.
Now you're ready to swim! Maybe try this out in a clean pool first so you can get your bandaging and taping technique perfected. If you are successful you will know because when you submerge in the water the air inside the bandage will form a bubble under the dressing. If you don't see a bubble, you probably don't have an airtight seal. I tend to stick a gauze dressing over the tube before bandaging it just so pulling off the bandage doesn't pull on my tube. If the gauze gets wet you were not successful at waterproofing.
I also have a PICC line which I cover the same way I would for showering. My method might be a bit overkill but I've never had a line infection and I was trained in microbiology so I like keeping things super sterile and secure! However you shower is probably fine for splashing around. But this is my personal procedure, and yes I do this every time I shower.
My method: first, I make sure I have an alcohol swab cap or "curos" alcohol cap on the end of my line. Not all medical supply companies provide these caps and it depends on insurance, too. I used to hoard them from ER visits but my new medical supply company provides them. If you can't get them, it's not a huge deal. I just like the extra security of knowing the end of my line is capped and sterile. Second, I secure my line in a PICC line cover (I personally like the Mighty Well covers) but this step is also optional. Third, I wrap my arm (over the fabric PICC sleeve) with Glad Press and Seal. Fourth, I use a plastic PICC line shower cover, like this one from amazon which I've used without a problem for eight months. This step is not optional. I personally do not trust press and seal by itself (some people do), but this shower sleeve if it fits properly does not leak and so in my case the press and seal is just in case.
The safest thing to do is to not submerge a PICC line, but with my four step method I have gone underwater briefly to test it and it held. Other central lines can be a bit tricky because you can't use the very effective PICC shower sleeves/covers. I've only had PICC lines so I do not have personal experience with others. But stay tuned and who knows what venous access device I'll have next summer.
So that's what you need to physically swim with tubes. It can be hard emotionally and socially because you may be the only tubie on the beach and other swimmers may have never seen a feeding tube before. When I went to the beach I did attract some stares and got questions from kids but I explained briefly that I eat using the tubes and everyone else eats and the beach so why not tubies? If nothing else, find some water and stick your feet in it.
Happy swimming, tubies!
Source: https://intrepidtubie.com/swimming/
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