# Almost everything my body needs, embedded in my leg **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247 "2008-07-12T16:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/1 "2008-07-12T16:38:23Z")
The son of my boss was born with a rare condition called [Hirschprung’s disease](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirschsprung's_disease). It’s pretty awful and I would never want to go through the litany of painful surgeries that he has. But I did learn something potentially cool about him the other day that my roommate and I have both decided might be superior to eating food (something that “consumes” way too much of our time). He has an IV embedded in his leg that gives him almost all of the nutrition he needs, and it can be stuffed with more nutrition through a small hole when it runs out. Are there any examples of people who have voluntarily undergone this procedure? Any large downsides I’m not seeing? I’m also interested in whether the stopping of eating itself is likely to extend your life. The digestive process is hard on your body, isn’t it? Who is with me? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![unstrung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a698b9/32.png) [@unstrung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unstrung)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/2 "2008-07-12T16:49:11Z")
There is no possible way that I could do that. I enjoy eating way too much. I mean, never tasting fried chicken again? No way. Couldn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/3 "2008-07-12T16:49:39Z")
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) is not something to be done long-term except for the most dire need. It’s usually done thru a central venous catheter but using the intra-osseous approach is apparently becoming more common. It’s fraught with risks of many complications, including bone infarcts, vascular thrombosis, infection, sepsis, and death. No sane person would opt for this if they had a working digestive system. Normal digestion is not hard. TPN is. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/4 "2008-07-12T17:04:58Z")
Thanks Qadgop. What about Partial Parental Nutrition? If I keep eating would it be safe for me to take my daily vitamins (and more?) using this method? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/5 "2008-07-12T18:20:15Z")
[QUOTE=alterego] What about Partial Parental Nutrition? [/QUOTE] Is that when you refuse to eat your vegetables even though Mom tells you otherwise? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/6 "2008-07-12T19:11:36Z")
[QUOTE=alterego] Thanks Qadgop. What about Partial Parental Nutrition? If I keep eating would it be safe for me to take my daily vitamins (and more?) using this method? [/QUOTE] Even in the short term TPN can be dangerous. The risk of infection is very high. The solution has to be mixed in a sterile environment, like a negative pressure hood. It has to be given through a deep line, which, if accidently disconnected could cause life threatening blood loss. The intraosseous approach is successful only in children, since the bone shafts in adults no longer have marrow that provides cardiovascular access. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/7 "2008-07-12T23:19:51Z")
> [@wiki](#): > > Hirschsprung’s disease, or congenital aganglionic megacolon Hehe. megacolon. hehe. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/8 "2008-07-13T01:01:50Z")
My father was on TPN on and off for months in the hospital. We used to call the stuff “liquid gold” because the hospital charged over $1,000 a bag. It was not pleasant. It keeps you alive, but just barely. The central venous lines they administer it through go directly into the heart, and there’s a constant risk of life-threatening infection. Also, contrary to what the OP surmises, it’s the lack of digesting foods that’s hard on the GI tract and organs. My father had a tube going down his nose into his stomach that constantly sucked out secretions while he was on it. Trust me, nobody does this voluntarily. You only undergo this if the alternative is dying. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/9 "2008-07-13T14:03:18Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Hehe. megacolon. hehe. [/QUOTE] **Auto**. It’s not necessary to post everything that pops into your head, especially in General Questions. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/10 "2008-07-13T15:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] **Auto**. It’s not necessary to post everything that pops into your head, especially in General Questions. **samclem** GQ moderator [/QUOTE] I’m sorry. I thought jokes, even bad ones, were allowed in GQ after the question was answered. I don’t believe myself to have a habit of spamming GQ with nonsense, and franky I’m a little offended that you have singled me out for this. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/11 "2008-07-13T16:48:30Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] I’m sorry. I thought jokes, even bad ones, were allowed in GQ after the question was answered. I don’t believe myself to have a habit of spamming GQ with nonsense, and franky I’m a little offended that you have singled me out for this. [/QUOTE] Toxic megacolon is a devastating diagnosis for any parent to hear that their child has. Therefore in my opinion, your response is about as appropriate as giggling over cystic fibrosis, leukemia, or progeria. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/12 "2008-07-13T17:57:03Z")
I wasn’t mocking the son’s diagnosis, I was making a silly comment in what I thought was in line with a silly and already-answered OP. To me, a disease/syndrome called ‘toxic megacolon’ elicits the giggles. Whatever. I’ll stop hijacking this thread now. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-everything-my-body-needs-embedded-in-my-leg/456247/13 "2008-07-14T02:19:15Z")
If you think the OP is silly you are very shortsighted.