Everytime I tell you something you add a month or 2 onto it..

Just trying to ease your stubborn ass into this treatment and recovery process.

I have 11 treatments then whatever "boosts" I will get. I did not want the PEG either. Last weekend when I could not get water down w/o my mouth feeling like it was on fire made me change my mind. Best of luck to you JimB. One day we will be able to pass on our experiences as David and others have to us.
Thank you everyone,
Kenny

I'm glad to hear that everything seems to be working out Jim. From the sound of things you do not need a PEG at this point as you are eating well and your weight loss fairly minimal (I lost 70lbs).

My original thought was you were swallowing blood and that was making you sick as this had happened to me. I had several episodes where the area of my necrotic lesion in my mouth would ooze this thick, black, partially clotted blood that looked kind of like the black venom stuff in Spiderman 3. It was pretty disgusting.

Keep the chin up and be well my friend

Eric

Hey Jim

As an original PEG-objector (to the point my first posts were to relaunch the PEG wars), I hear you loud and clear. More power to you brother. It was an exceptionally satisfying feeling NOT to get a PEG yet finish all the radiation & chemo. I NEVER got more than 2000 calories down a day let alone much water but survived. No dehydration - just 40 lbs weight loss.
People who say the Cancer TX is like a marathon, in my experience have never run one. ( I have done 4, with best time of 3 hours, 15 minutes). The marathon part is life afterwards with the new normal. The actual TX is much more like a 10 K race, and you are near the 4 mile mark when the going gets tough but the tough get going. Keep the faith
Charm

Very well put Charm I like that! I have to say waking up this morning I do not feel as nausious or tired as I did yesterday but damn is my throat sore and swollen. I does however seem to get better throughout the day and the morning is always the worst. If I fight like hell and endure the pain in the morning drinking water when the percocet finally kicks in I am able to eat, right now it would be pretty difficult! At least I have 2 days off coming up maybe that will give me a little bit of relief!

My mother just completed treatment for her fourth round of this stuff. She admittedly was overweight when she began but over the last couple of years she lost 96 lbs. By this time, she was finding it nearly impossible to eat/drink, was very dehydrated. We were told by her speech therapist the other day that she was literally "starving to death" when she went in the hospital on 6/29 and was shocked to hear that we had asked her dr. for a PEG and he said she didn't need one. It was unbelieveable to us to see her gain weight so quickly with the PEG - she went from 95 lbs. to 116 in just 2 1/2 weeks. I kept thinking something had to be wrong w/the scales but that's what the hospital said. It was the best thing she's had done in a good while. I know you don't want it and if you can get along without it, I'm extremely happy for you. Just remember to get help when you need it. I can tell you now it would have saved her a lot of suffering. We've learned a lot of things the hard way. Good luck - you sound like you can beat anything !!!!!!! Keep it up!!!!!!

Went in for radiation this morning and the machine was down....so instead of me coming back later in the day they told me to take the day off since my throat and tongue were so swollen and sore. They also gave me liquid morphine for the pain, though I didnt ask for it they told me to take it. The 1 thing that I ask for they cant do anything for and that is the feeling of someone sticking there finger down my throat all day! That is what is making me nausious, apparently it is the thick mucuous stuck in the back of my throat! Nothing that I have tried gets rid of that feeling? Any suggestions???

Is it far enough up that a portable suction machine can get to it? I didn't have one for the mucous but sure wish I did. It has helped some people.

Take care,
Eileen

Echoing Eileen's post, this time around the mucous was much worse and the portable suction machine was a big help. If you can gargle with Seltzer water, that was how I got through my first round with no PEG. I swallowed a sip of Ensure, then gargled with Seltzer and spit out the mucous, sip of Ensure. Although it took a half hour, the feeding tube with gravity bag takes just about as long -(although I now admit the PEG is a very easy way to take in nutrition)
I hated the dry heaves, especially since some acidic stuff would come up and burn my throat. Nothing helped the dry heaves during the second round of radiation which thank God only lasted a week.
You can do this, and don't discount the pain medications. Get yourself a fentanyl patch (start with 25mcg, and go to 50mcg quickly) as they really helped with numbing the sore throat and letting me swallow.
charm

Jim,

You have done a great job so far. Unfortunately, it does get harder. My husband got the PEG at the halfway point and we weren't sure if it was a good idea. He was able to take food orally at that point. Now he is done with radiation as of last Tuesday and the PEG for him has been invaluable. He has many tongue and mouth sores and so swallowing has been difficult. We hydrate all night with the PEG. Without the PEG he would have to have made many trips to the hospital to hydrate. A lot of people go to the hospital to hydrate with a IV and have done well without the PEG. For us it has helped get through this week. It really is a personal decision. Save your strength, the radiation builds and hopefully does its job but it takes a toll on your mouth and neck.

We are sending our prayers and good wishes to you.

Vanessa and Jeff Watt