Hi, Ben,
You have come to the right place for answers. There are a number of folks on this site who have gotten by without a PEG, and I am sure you will hear from them. I had one put in, and was glad to have it, even though I was equally glad to get rid of it. As you go through radiation, you will have more problems with your mouth and eating will become more difficult. If you have chemo, as well, it will be very important to stay nourished, and that is very hard to do. I had a lot less problems after my surgery with eating, than I did after radiation. Listen to your docs and weigh all of your options. Glad you found us, but sorry you had to.

Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.