Tom,

Welcome to OCF, glad you found us, sorry you had to! Great advice about the PEG from all who've responded to your original post. As you can see, there are a lot of ?'s, issues and social concerns about living with a PEG so your thread has taken a different path...and that's OK because all of this is useful information and obviously should be discussed. I hope you don't feel ignored or imposed upon...but that's what is great about this site and community...we help any and all.

Kathie,

This is a difficult thing to deal with. Your sister needs support, she needs to be uplifted, inspired and shown that there is hope for a great life even with the struggles she is currently faced with. Your sister needs this site. The advice, support and inspiration from the "survivors" and "heroes" on this site is the best "medication" she could ever be prescribed.

Now that being said, I believe that there should be every avenue available for your sister to cope with what's happening to her right now. As Charm said, he has wine through his PEG, I've shot whiskey (not recommended but it's amazing how fast you get drunk when you don't have to deal with the burn!) it wasn't an everyday occasion but sometimes you just need a stiff drink and trust me I earned it

Anymore I'm a huge advocate for medicinal marijuana (never smoked! always vaporized or in food) the benefits of it in our situation are many. Marijuana (MJ) will improve the mood, lower anxiety, ease pain, relieve nausea, increase appetite and encourage sleep...which is a benefit when the opiate pain medications cause insomnia. Alcohol, prescription drugs etc can be dangerous and can take you down a path of dependancy and destruction if not careful...which is why support, advice and guidance is always prudent. Anyway they should be used as tools to get to a place where you can cope with what life has thrown at you on your own.

I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have Charm, David, Christine, Jim and Brian and the many others on this site to help me through the aftermath of treatment and surgery. I was severely disfigured, physically decimated and my speech and ability to eat normally greatly impacted...yet here I am loving life and thriving three years out. This site, these forums, these "warriors" inspire and motivate me daily and they will your sister too.

Tom, Kathie, Kathie's sister...keep your spirits up, read the quote in my signature and find your "why".

Eric