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So my hubby and I went to one of those "home shows" and saw the Vita-Mix guy whipping up his drinks. B4 I had my G-tube, I never gave it another thought but I've heard from a few that they work.
They want almost $500 for it, not including the "dry" blender, etc.. Anyone have experience with it?
Anyone have a cheaper way to obtain?
Thanks, Dees
I've had my vita-mix for about three years now. I use it everyday. It is great for mixing up my daughter's enteral formula. She is currently using Pepdite, which eventually does dissolve in water, but after 5 seconds in the vita-mix it is totally mixed. This machine really does what they say it does: breaks down food. It is not a juicer though, as all the fiber is still in the liquid. It is great for soups and smoothies. Vegtables can be added to fruit smoothies with no problem. Raw carrots and spinach add lots of vitamins, and cooked potatoes are a great thickener. It will puree meat as well, cooked chicken mixed with some broth would probably work too. Unless you have other digestive issues, I think it would a good way to get a well rounded diet through a g-tube. Just be sure to flush the tube thoroughly after each meal.
As for the price, yeah it is steep. That being said, the company does sell demo models and refurbished models for less. Mine is a refurbished model, it looked brand new when I got it and it has always worked well. Check their web site for special deals. They have excellent customer service available too. In my opinion, you really don't need the dry container. The blade assembly is slightly different, but the wet container will handle everything just as well. I use my dry container to grind coffee beans, and make bread crumbs, but others grind beans, wheat berries and make different flours for baking. If you have a choice, get the smaller container as an extra, it is half the size and good for single servings. They also have demos at Costco warehouses, many times offering a discount on containers and packages. Also Ebay and Craig's list are good sources for used models. These machines are made to last. You might want to join the yahoo list Vitamix-users@yahoo for great advice, recipies and tips.
Sorry to go on about it, but it really is a great machine.
Best wishes to you,
Tracy
Thanks for the nice reply. Tired of having to buy groceries, cook for my hubby then watch him eat as I take my enteral formula. I can eat by mouth but only things that are smooth & I'm allergic to Milk-based products. I haven't gained any weight with formulas since my hospitalization in August and think I need "real" food.
The cost $500 is def. a factor. As this is a permanent condition, do you know if insurance or another agency can help defray?
Again, thanks for the info, I wish you daughter the best of health. Dees
a weird, unasked for comment--oh, well!
The comment is that potato is a good thickener: for people with SBS--short gut-- who deal with diarrhea, cooked rice mixed in would be a good stool thickener as well.
Perhaps that will help someone.
Mary
Dees,
In the past the company has offered a discount on the VitaMix if it's use is medically necessary. There is contact information in an article that ran in the Oley Foundation newsletter (the LifelineLetter) not too long ago. See http://www.oley.org/lifeline/TubetalkSO07.html#Making%20your%20own
Let us know how you make out.
Good luck!
Lisa Metzger
LifelineLetter editor
The Oley Foundation
Thanks for your replies!
I'm ready to pull the trigger, here's 4 questions for you guys. The food needs to be completely pure to go through the tube so..
1) Vita-Mix vs Blendtec. Both equal for our purposes?
2) Any problems with jar size, staining, breakage?
3) Speed controls on Vitamix vs one touch buttons on Blendtec? Is 3hp necessary?
4) Vita-Mix - Which models would be best for my everday use?
Thanks, Dees
Hello Dees,
The Vita-mix has revolutionized our (or rather my) life. My 17-mth old son has had a g-tube for over a year now and in the last few months, since we had the Vita-mix, he has become so much stronger, and I think it is in part because I am able to give him real food.
With a note from your doctor, you can participate in their medical needs program. We purchased their basic $450 blender for $280. We also got the smaller jar for smaller blends and didn't bother with the dry jar because we already had a little grinder (and much less expensive) for grains.
The mix I make for my son has cooked up grains (toasted, ground, cooked in stock), meat (cooked obviously), raw fruit, vegetables (mostly cooked), flax seed meal, sunflower seed butter, egg yolks, and sometimes jellied cranberry sauce. I thin the mix with stock that I have made (same with the stock for cooking the grains). I don't waste any volume on water. The blended mix, after it has cooled in the fridge (measured out in meal size-containers) usually looks like pudding (and that fine consistency too). We used to have problems with clogging when I was just blending up one meal at a time because I couldn't get the blended mix fine enough - so nice not to hear the "No Flow In" beep.
When I prepare a meal for him, I combine in a container half his blended mix and half whole milk. My son has a Zevex Enteralite Infinity pump. On any hospital stays we have been unable to use the hospital's Kangaroo pump because our mix is too thick!!
The controls on the Vitamix are great. You can start on the variable speed on low and ramp up and then blast it on high for a bit. This works well when you are liquidising meat and raw fruit. By the way, you can include the skins (with lots of good fibre in them) in the blend as the blender obliterates them!
If you have any questions, I am more than happy to answer them. After months of figuring out how to prepare food for my son, I would like to help as many people avoid the learning curve.
On Yahoo groups, in addition to the Vita-mix users group (which I didn't know about), there is also a Blenderized Diet group with a lot of great tips on it.
I don't know if this applies to you. My son has a fundoplication and doesnt burp, so another thing I add to each meal is some simethicone (gas drops for babies) because it takes the bubbles out of the food. And warming the mix (bottle in a larger container with hot water in it) a bit before you take your meal can also help take the bubbles out.
Good luck,
Sarah (and Henry)
Thanks Sarah & Henry. Called Vita-Mix today, said a Refurbished Model 5200 would cost me $299 + 7% tax if I got my Dr. to give a ltr of med necessity.
What model do you have?
Is there a difference?
I'm doing feeds by syringe. Nurse said I should have a pump but I don't think so. I'd rather use a Vita-Mix & continue either syringe or gravity feeds with a combo of formula and real foods.
Glad to hear your son is improving!
Will keep all of you posted, again thanks for all the advise. Dees
Hello Dees,
We also have the 5200 model, also a refurbished one. The same 7-year warranty (wow) applies to both a new one and a refurbished one. We did actually have a problem with the first one that came - smoky smell and stopped working - and they switched it out right away.
Happy blending!
Sarah
OK, I'm going to pull the trigger and buy a refurbished Vita-Mix. Dr. wrote RX & faxing to company today for d/c of $299+ tax. (good price?)
Decision came in that I still haven't gained any weight and it's driving me crazy having to cook my meals for hubby, yet not be able to eat them.
Hoping the Vita-Mix will allow me to blenderize & "eat" my own meals & find some new super healthy ones in addition to the formula.
Meanwhile, pls write if you have any futher suggestions, advise.
When it arrives, I'll have questions on how to work this crazy thing!
Later, Dees
i have a vitamix that i use for my son. if you provide a letter from your dr. they charge you $250 instead of 500. the vitamix will liquify a brick! i love it. i use it everyday. if you use a pump with the "tube soup" get a strainer and strain the seeds and chunks out.
Ordered yesterday, $299 + tax.
Will post when it arrives as I'll need advise on how to run it, recipies, etc.
Thanks for all your advise. Dees
Hi, Dees.
I just want to chime in on the comment you made earlier about bolus feedings vs. a pump. I do my own bolus feedings using a 60 cc syringe without the plunger... flow gravity flow! :). It is so easy and I am totally mobile with my eating. So the pump would simply complicate my life.
Medical folks need to think in terms of simplest solutions first. If they had to use their own recommendations on themselves for even a week, they would take a more thoughtful approach to what they suggest. I have experienced a disparity between what goes on for us inside the medical establishment and outside in the real world.
I hope your Vitamix works great for you. Marie
Marie:
Well said.
Started using this pump a few wks ago thinking it would make it easier. It has not and has been 'mentally' difficult, hooking up to the pump & running around the house and/or sleeping with it. It reminds me of how sick I really am. I can't do just gravity feeds b/c it goes in too fast, but I can do syringe.. slow but sure. Soon as I can, I'm giving the pump back.. thank goodness it's on a rental. The Vita-Mix will be here this week. Dees
MaMa is 84 yrs old and can't chew solid food easily. We got her a Vitamix 5200 and she loves it to grind up her fruit to make smoothie drinks high in fiber. She keeps it out on the counter in the middle of the kitchen for daily use.
We found a site to save $25
http://home.netcom.com/~fanclubs/Blender.html
We were not able to find any vitamix coupons but saving $25 sure helped.
We finally broke down and bought one after 2 years of using a food processor/blender/strainer program on our boy's food.
He has been 95% tube fed since 10/06 - and we have had to do a great deal of self- learning on what is best for him and his overall nutrition.
The vita-mix has done wonders, as we can take any meat - steak, chicken, pork, fish and combine with just about anything. You get something with the consistency of an Orange Julius that goes through any tube without a hitch.
I am thrilled that I found this site.
Hi everyone,
I have a G-tube and use gravity feed (bolus feedings). I would really like to make at least some of my own food (because then I could control what goes into it) and have been interested in getting a blender.
What has stopped me so far is not knowing whether the blended food will actually go through my tube (somebody mentioned that it was not totally liquefied by the VitaMix blender). I have a 16 french MicKey button which has quite a narrow opening--and the canned formula I put through the tube has to be thinned with water to go down in a reasonable amount of time. Does anyone who uses a blender have experience with my kind of tube and feeding style? If so, is it working for you?
Thanks a lot for your help!
JulieG,
I used to have a Mic-key button w/balloon. I now have a AMT Mini One button w/balloon. Both were/are 16fr. It doesn't matter how big the tube is the port and fittings are all the same size. I have been using a blender for all my meals for the last year and a half. I burnt up the standard household types and have settled on a Blentec EZ blender. It is comparable to the Vita Mix. Either one will work just fine. I am not sure about gravity feeding or electronic peristaltic pumps but a syringe works just fine. I cook what ever I want. My digestive system functions fine I just cannot swallow. I lost 60 lbs on the liquid nutrient and had to switch to real food.
I bolus feed about 32 oz three times per day and have maintained my weight at 190 lbs. I have pretty good energy and the bolus feeding makes me feel 'normal'.
There are several restaurants that have Vita Mix blenders and steaks, salads, chicken, enchiladas, soups, tacos, nuts, fish, etc. all blend well. You have to leave the blender on high for about 2-3 minutes. I use a stainless steel strainer to ensure no lumps. But most of the time there is nothing left in the strainer.
The times the food has stuck in the tube it has been at the fitting that locks into the button.
I hope this helps JulieG. If you need more info just ask,
Steve
Thanks, Steve, this is really helpful. I will pursue getting a blender (and a sieve). I am very grateful that this list exists--otherwise I would never have realized that eating real food through a G-tube was possible.
Julie
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