I was also totally freaked by the idea of the PEG tube. When I was having my tongue and neck surgery (actually 4th surgery but that's a long story for another time) I told the doctors I didn't think I could deal with the possibilty of not speaking or eating again. As it turned out I was able to do both after surgery turned out to be less extensive that feared. However, I had the worst case of radiation burn from that treatment that any of my local docs had seen. I refused the PEG tube for many weeks and was hospitalized on IV nutrition until I was so ill that the docs told me I had no choice but to take the tube. Of course for me it was major surgery because I'd had previous stomach surgery. However the surgery went fine and didn't even add a new scar because the used the old one running down my middle. I had the tube 3 months - I didn't like it but I will agree it was necessary. As usual for me the removal was not as easy as the one described in another message but still was a fairly simple office procedure (I guess I do have one new scar - the small indentation where the tube was).