Laura............The Doctors are not lying when they say your mouth will be too sore to eat and swallow. My first few weeks of RAD and Chemo sailed by. I thought I was gonna be one of the "lucky" patients and that somehow I wasn't gonna suffer from a very sore, swollen, and burning oral cavity and throat. I was wrong. By the end of my second chemo treatment I had all I could do to get enough water in me to keep hydrated.

Food became an issue for me. In order to heal and keep hydrated I had to have nourishment, yet I wasn't hungry, the food didn't taste like food, and my appitite was gone. PEG was there to save the day for me. With the PEG, I was able to get the nourishment I needed and I was able to get and keep enough liquid in me to stay out of the hospital. Keeping yourself hydrated becomes quite a feat when going through treatment. It took me more than a few times to figure out how much water I needed to keep myself hydrated and out of the hosptial, sicker than a dog from not enough liquids.

You'll have other things to worry about while going through treatment and you need to save your energy for other things besides worrying about eating and nourishment. The PEG tube allows this. I had no problem with PEG. None at all, and I kept the tube in a bit over a year until I was confident that food and caloric intake were no longer an issue for me.

I would not hesitate for one second to have a second PEG if the need ever arise. The procedure to put the tube in takes about 20 minutes and to remove the tube took maybe 20 seconds. The tube is odorless (I was worried about that) and it fits nicely underneath your clothing. Nobody will ever know you even have a PEG unless you point it out to them.

I can't think of any reason not to have the PEG tube, but I can think of a more than a few reasons to have one. In this case, it is a good thing. Good luck with your contining treatment and keep us posted. Sincerely, Donna