 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | James,
If you do go with the PEG (not sure I understand what comforting others has to do with a decision that may affect what and how you swallow the rest of your life though???) then PLEASE only use it when you absolutely can't swallow naturally, even if that means with some pain. Those muscles seem to have a short memory and can quickly forget their function. Many people using a PEG become lifetime dependent on it and are never able to eat solid foods again.
Please understand that this is a treatment that hopefully will save your life and if you do survive both the cancer and the treatment your life will be changed forever so this should ONLY BE ABOUT YOU. NO ONE matters right now other than YOU because if you do survive you will be the only person really having to deal with what's left over post treatment so please don't do anything now just to please others. You are numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and everyone else comes after that.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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