Hi Nancy and welcome. Sorry you have to be here but without a doubt this is the best place for up to date information and support. I would have never mentally survived without these incredible people when my husband was sick.

My husband had base of tongue cancer with node involvement. The treatment for his type of cancer and your type of cancer are usually the same. My husband had the weekly Cisplatin and unfortunately has permanent hearing loss from it. When my husband was diagnosed with his cancer his MO, RO and ENT all recommended getting the PEG placed before treatments began. They didn't want anything to stop treatments once they started. My husband really fought me on getting the PEG. I told him to just get it "in case" and hopefully you won't need it.

Thankfully he got it. The first couple of weeks were o.k. but after that things got really bad. He still didn't use the PEG when he should have and lost 30 lbs. Eventually he used the PEG and that helped to keep him hydrated and nourished. He used a pump to slowly get the hydration and nutrition in. He continued to swallow water daily so he wouldn't loose the ability to swallow. He never had to be hospitalized due to dehydration.

You will get different opinions about the PEG but to me it is just another "tool" to get you through treatments. After all that is the goal to get through treatments and be cancer free.

We are all here for you! Good luck