Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#37615 07-10-2004 03:12 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4
FVDale Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4
Can anyone tell me if it OK to take showers with the PEG tube installed? I fell so much better after a nice shower.


Stage IV SCC, left side of neck, primary left tonsil. Cisplatin/5FU.
Treatment started 21 June 2004.
#37616 07-10-2004 03:55 PM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 482
"Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Offline
"Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)

Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 482
FVDale, Yes, showering is OK. Keep it covered, though, to begin with. After a week or so you can let is get wet without too much worry. I used to put gause over the place the tube went in and changed it after the shower. Kept gause on for 7-10 days or so and then stopped keeping it covered and only swabbed it with hydrogen-peroxide once per day. Tape the gause to your stomach so no water gets in and go ahead and take that shower.


Regards, Kirk Georgia
Stage IV, T1N2aM0, right tonsil primary, Tonsilectomy 11/03, 35 rad/3cisplatin chemo, right neck dissection 1/04 - 5/04.
#37617 07-10-2004 06:45 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,140
Likes: 1
Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Offline
Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,140
Likes: 1
FVDale, I used plastic wrap to cover the PEG, which I coiled up. Never thought to leave it loose as Kirk did. Anyway, I taped the plastic covered tube all around and stayed in the shower until the water got cold. I just kept the Saran wrap and tape in the bathroom and I got very fast at covering the PEG. I had forgotten, but cleaning daily with hydrogen peroxide is a very, very good thing to do. I did this and had no infection or trouble of any kind while I had the tube. Now go take a shower!

#37618 07-11-2004 06:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 251
Gold Member (200+ posts)
Offline
Gold Member (200+ posts)

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 251
We also used the Saran Wrap method when my husband first got his PEG tube. We were also wrapping the PIC line entry that was used for administering chemo and Ethyol. I'd help him wrap and tape before showers and it seemed to work well.

Anita


Husband Dx 12/02 Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer T1N2bM0; surgery, radiation, chemo 1/03 - 4/03.
#37619 07-11-2004 03:56 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 372
"Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Offline
"Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 372
My hubby Dan had a PEG tube for about 5 months. He had to put tape around it just for the first week when showering. After that he put nothing on it, showered, and then just cleaned around it with Hydrogen Peroxide. He never had any problems and he took a shower everyday no matter how bad he felt. He said it was the only thing that he had control over and it felt so good to be clean.

Hope this helps...God bless,
Debbie


Debbie - Caregiver for husband, Dan, diagnosed with tongue cancer 7/03. Partial gloss., mod. neck dissections, graft. Recurrence neck tumor 12/03. Radical left neck dissection 12/24/03-unable to get all the tumor. 8 weeks chemo/rad beginning 1/12/04.
#37620 07-13-2004 03:02 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 40
Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Offline
Contributing Member (25+ posts)

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 40
I was told to NOT USE hydrogen peroxide around the tube. It creates an moist warm environment which causes the creation of granulation tissue. Granulation tissue is your body trying to seal up the hole which is something you don


Dig.7/03 3cm+ lymph nodes & base of tongue tumor. Radical neck dissection w/removal of one neck muscle, laser removal of tumor. 47 sessions of radiation, 2 doses of Cisplatin & PEG tube 40yrs old non-smoker/drinker
#37621 07-13-2004 10:25 AM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 52
OCF Founder
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Offline
OCF Founder
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 52
You should be able to daily clean the area around the PEG tube with plain soap and water in the shower. After drying the area spead some topical antibiotic ointment around it each day like Neosporin and that will help keep infections at bay and things in good order.


Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
#37622 07-13-2004 01:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,627
Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Offline
Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,627
I had a PEG tube and it required little to no care from me. I didn't tape it to my body, it tucked nicely into the waist of my underwear. I cleaned it each day by simply taking a shower, I never covered it up at any time. There were two times during the time frame that I had it that they used silver nitrate to take off the granulation...........yep, it hurt! The peg was simple for me.


SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.

Moderated by  Brian Hill 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Top Posters
ChristineB 10,507
davidcpa 8,311
Cheryld 5,260
EzJim 5,260
Brian Hill 4,912
Newest Members
Jina, VintageMel, rahul320, Sean916, Megm37
13,103 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums23
Topics18,166
Posts196,921
Members13,103
Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020
OCF Awards

Great Nonprofit OCF 2023 Charity Navigator OCF Guidestar Charity OCF

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5