Welcome, Tony. You are about to start what will be quite a wild ride, but never forget that many of us have been there before you and are here to talk about it. This is something you can do! About the PEG tube, there is more than just weight loss to consider. When swallowing is so painful that you cannot get anything down, the PEG allows you to get pain medication quickly, as well as keep yourself hydrated, which is critical. I found the PEG to be easy to use, unobtrusive in my daily life, and not painful. Even with it, I lost more than 50 lbs. The combination of radiation and chemo is one of the world's most effective diets (grin). Unfortunately, one loses muscle first, which makes recovery more difficult. Use the search feature at the top of the page for "PEG" and "feeding tube" and you will find a wealth of information as this is one of the first big issues every patient faces, and in many cases, mine included, it becomes a major sticking point. Am I glad I had it? You bet! Would I do it again? In a New York minute. I set records for rebounding and getting back to real life and that would not have been possible without the PEG which allowed me to receive balanced nutrition when I didn't care one way or the other about eating, and could not have taken anything by mouth. Set soapbox = off.
Joanna