Liquid Hope: Review

(and the differences between it and Real Food Blends)  

First, I'd like to say that though I still love and appreciate Real Food Blends, I switched blends for a variety of reasons. I got my first shipment of Liquid Hope on January 11th, so I've been on it for a little bit over two weeks' time now.

I'd also like to tell you a little bit about Liquid Hope and how it compares to Real Food Blends here:

Liquid Hope is a blended formula, just like Real Food Blends. They are the only two major food-based formulas made for enteral feeds (feeding tubes) that are also covered by many insurances (including Medicaid and Medicare). Call your insurance to ask if they cover HCPCS code B4149. (Both companies' blends are under that code.)

Unlike Liquid Hope, Real Food Blends has three different blends. (Edit: As of 11/02/17, they have 5 blends.) These blends are meant to be used as 'meals,' so they do not offer a complete nutrition. This is not a problem for many people like me since we eat some orally, but this may be a problem for people who want to use them as sole nutrition. They may have to take extra vitamins or add certain foods to the blends. 

Liquid Hope only has one formula- but that is because that's all they need. The blend offers a complete nutrition.

Real Food Blends has 1.0kcals per mL at 330 calories per each 9.4oz blend while Liquid Hope offers 1.3kcals per mL at 450 calories for its blend. For people like me, the higher calorie, the better, so this was one of the reasons that I switched.

Real Food Blends' meals are meant to be bolus fed via syringe. They are, in my opinion, hard to use via both the Joey and Infinity pumps, but it is not impossible (as my first review says).

Real Food Blends' meals are not organic, and do have fish and chicken in some of them. (Edit: As of 12/23/2016 they also have beef in one of the packets.) They say that none of their meals "contain any raw ingredients with gluten" though they are produced in a facility that uses gluten. 

Liquid Hope is dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, and is also gluten-free - though it is produced in a facility that uses gluten.

Though both formulas are free from many allergens, Liquid Hope does contain almonds. (Some individuals with nut allergies have been able to use it, but you should consult a doctor before trying it.)

When Liquid Hope was first developed, it was vegan. They used vitamin D2, but after a formula change, they now use vitamin D3 instead. Since vitamin D3 comes from the lanolin of sheep and/or fish, this is why it cannot be classified as vegan. While knowing this won't make a difference in most feeding tube users' lives, for ones who were vegan or vegetarian before they got their tubes or would like to reduce their carbon footprint, I thought I should mention it.

Remembering how I had to add more liquid to my Real Food Blends meals to use them with an Infinity pump (and how 2/3rds of them failed my Kangaroo Joey "test"), I was delightfully surprised when I found out that I could put a packet of Liquid Hope, straight, through my Infinity pump. (I've heard that you do have to dilute it some to be able to go through the Infinity pump).

As Real Food Blends does not offer complete nutrition, they have been used by many people who range from toddler age to adults. They are meant to have things added to them, so an "overload" of certain nutrition properties is unlikely to occur. 

Because Liquid Hope is formulated to offer full nutrition and has many of the vitamins and minerals that adults need, many younger kids have trouble getting doctors and nutritionists to agree to using it instead of other commercial formulas. This will vary from doctor to doctor. Many parents have been able to get it prescribed for their toddlers. (Some doctors will even compromise and let you give them Liquid Hope for a portion of their nutrition instead of 100% of it.) The great thing about this is that Functional Formularies, the makers of Liquid Hope, has recently announced that their new pediatric formula, Nourish, will be in production during the next two months. (Edit: As of 12/23/2016, Nourish is currently in production.) The pediatric formula is nut-free, though still used in a facility that works with them.

As you can see, the blends from these companies are each made and compatible with many different lifestyles, so your choice may be dependent on many of these factors. 

Let's get to my, albeit short, review.

Review:

Me getting Liquid Hope wasn't exactly as magical as it was when I got Real Food Blends because- and this is good- I am not in the hospital! (Read about how I amazed 56 nurses with RFBs). I've told my small circle about it, but in the end of course the most excited person was me. 

Pretty much everything that has happened with Real Food Blends has continued when I returned from my brief stint with Compleat to the awaited Liquid Hope. I feel amazing. 

Despite being an adult (and Liquid Hope being perfect for me), getting my doctor to prescribe it was a LOT harder than it was getting them to agree to me getting Real Food Blends, but I got it done. I now have BlueCross BlueShield TX which denied my doctor's order for Liquid Hope. (Technically they covered it then turned around and denied it... Long story!) My secondary, Traditional TX Medicaid, as I expected it to, covered it immediately.

My doctor didn't think that I would be able to tolerate Liquid Hope. She said that if I did not at least double my water intake that I would be severely constipated. While I agree that I need to drink a little bit more water, haha, I am happy to report that I am not anywhere near constipated. My poop is relatively comparable to Real Food Blends... A little looser. It's definitely not diarrhea-level loose but I would prefer for them to be a little bit more formed. While for the first week or so I would have to poop almost immediately after every packet of Real Food Blends, I did not have this problem with Liquid Hope. (It wasn't really much of a problem since everything became regular with RFBs, but I thought I would mention it. If you or your kiddo poops differently during the transition, it's normal.) 

For whatever reason, I feel more full when using Real Food Blends' packets (though they have less volume). They both sit very well on my stomach but while I found myself being full after two [9.4 oz] RFBs packets, I could still eat a snack with two [twelve oz] LH packets. This is good for me since eating orally is how I get a good chunk of my nutrition. I'm encouraged to eat as much as I can.

The no pain, no loose bowels, and no stomach pain stays true for LH. 

This might be too soon to tell, but I took the time out to feel my (hyperkeratosis pilaris and eczema-ridden) skin and it feels so much softer than it usually does. I haven't put lotion on in days and the water here is brutal... This could just be a coincidence, but maybe it isn't. 

I'm not sure of any weight chances as I don't have a scale nearby but I have an appointment with GI soon and can't wait to see the gain! (I've claimed it!) (Edit: As of 12/23/2016 I have maintained my weight. I no longer have to see my GI doctor every six weeks, and have maintained my 84-86 pound range. Gaining is no longer my goal.) I also can't wait to shove it in their faces [just a lliiiittle bit] on how well I've done on it and how they need to put some of their other patients on it. I can't wait to pass out samples of LH just like I did with RFBs.  

I am so grateful that I've found a formula that I can use with my Infinity pump without having to add liquids and increase the volume of it. Even more grateful that it's higher calorie, and that the amazing team behind it pays so much attention to detail for the people who get to enjoy it. I'll be honest. The things that I eat orally aren't even up to the bar that Functional Formularies has set. 

I mean, look at these ingredients!

I never thought that I would be able to tell people that the majority of my diet was plant-based, organic / non-GMO, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and corn-free. It's like I almost fit in with the hippie vegans at Whole Foods, haha! ;) 

No, but seriously...  

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To Robin, CEO of Functional Formularies: Thank you so much for taking what you've been through with your father and giving him the best nutrition possible. Thank you for taking all of that energy and never stopping by creating another great blend that so many of the tube community can enjoy. 

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Both Robin of Functional Formularies (Liquid Hope / Nourish) and Julie of Real Food Blends are moving mountains in the feeding tube community. They've put their blood, sweat & tears into it for the past several years and are continuously working to improve in both the perception that the rest of the medical community has on blended diets but also by making more blends for us to enjoy. Though Liquid Hope is my final choice, I appreciate the efforts of both and will support them to the end. 

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If any of you have questions about my experience with Liquid Hope, 

please send me an email at:

projectcode18@gmail.com.