Hi all -

A question about PEGs.

Last week I hd a PEG placement done. I won't bore everyone with the horrible time I had with the aftereffects of the procedure, which landed me in the hospital. Apparently my body is not adjusting to the tube very well. Besides that episode, now that the pain is managed and subsiding, I just feel nauseated all the time, constantly - I can't really eat anything because of it, and using the tube makes it even worse. This is a real problem, as I'm closing in on 20 pounds down since surgery in July entering week 4 of treatment (5x/week wide field rad, 1x week chemo, Erbitux+docetaxol), and I really can't afford to lose any further weight, as I'm not that large to begin with.

Thus far, the major effects I'm feeling from the treatment are thicker mucous and the very back of my throat is dry almost all the time. Since I'm on amifostene, my salivary function is still intact. I can't taste anything, since my taste buds bit the dust at some point in the last week, but I can live with that knowing they'll be back and I can still eat most solid foods as I don't have any sores in my mouth, probably because I'm being exceptionally careful to try and keep them away.

My question is this: has anyone ever had a PEG put in and then removed partway through treatment, or known someone who has? My only real worry is that my mouth will, at some point, become so raw and/or have sores, which will keep me from eating. On the other hand, it can't be any worse than the constant queasiness that is keeping me from eating now.

Thoughts?