hi,
i dont know the stage etc of his cancer but i know there is a small primary on the base of his tongue and a tumor in the lymphnode in the upper neck on the right side- under 3 centimeters... he was given a great prognosis- with treatment he's got 90% cure rate!
he's nervous (so i'm nervous) about treatment...
1. he gets peg tube friday...how will he manage with it?
2. i am anticipating his pain.

he is supposed to have 33 rad treatments and 3 chemo.
any suggestions on alleviating his worry?
mine?
thx...

He will need to learn the basics of caring for the PEG tube which includes a daily flush - pushing a 60 cc syringe of water (about 2 oz) through the end of the tube that has the cap on it. The hospital will either show him how or set him up with a visiting nurse to make a couple of visits to teach him at home. The syringes are reusable and just need to be washed out. They can be ordered through a medical supply company and the hospital can help you with that. The PEG tube is not difficult to learn.

As for the side effects of treatments they vary a lot with each person. I would tell him that he needs to let the medical team know how he is feeling all throughout the treatments and if he is having pain ask for medication. Communication is the key.

The best way to alleviate your worry is to find out as much as you can about the treatments and know what to expect. Take some time to go through the links on the home page of this website and you will get all kinds of information. You can also do a search of these posts and find answers to a lot of your questions.

Tell him to keep swallowing every day during treatments whether he is using the PEG tube or not. He will get through it.

Good luck,
JoAnne

What part of ny are you in and where are you going for treatment ?