 Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 | My MO insisted that I get a PEG before I started my treatments. I hated the thing and unfortunately did not use it the way that I should have, and ended up in the hospital after my treatments, being malnourished. You can bet that I used it, then! I had no trouble getting off it. I continued to swallow, by drinking water, even though I used the PEG for actual feeding. I had it removed about three months or so after stopping treatment. The scar is no big deal, if that's what you are concerned about. It's just a little round dot. Even though I hated having it, I think that it probably saved my life.
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.
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