I think you made the right decision to get the PEG tube, it will make things easier for you during treatments.

Here's the thing, you are already very stressed out, you don't need the extra worry about what if's during treatment. 90% of patients having radiation for HNC get PEG tubes and use them at some point. It's a reasonable precaution that will give you peace of mind AND access for nutrition, hydration, and medications if your throat becomes too sore later on. Also it is not an either or with swallowing, you can and should continue to do that every day. It really helped my husband and was a factor in how quickly his swallowing recovered post treatment.

It's also very common for patients to take anti-anxiety medication such as Ativan or Xanax. Jack could not have gotten through the radiation treatments without it so don't be afraid to ask for a prescription.

Regards JoAnne


JoAnne - Caregiver to husband, cancer rt. tonsil, mets to soft palate, BOT, 7 lymph nodes - T3N2BM0, stage 4. Robotic assisted surgery, radical neck dissection 2/06; 30 IMTX treatments and 4 cycles of cisplatin completed June 06.