I do not believe that it is credible to advocate not to get a PEG and at the same time write that one lost a ton of weight and did so against medical advice. Are we now advocating that loosing weight during cancer treatment is good?? Surely not.
Clearly you do not have to take medical advice or consent to treatment but you will have to live or die by this decision. What is next, deciding which tissues to irradiate, angles and dosage? There is a difference between an opinion and a qualified opinion.

I also disagree with the the statement that one is taking an educated risk. Since non of us know how we react to the treatment up front (how could we) and we have plenty of evidence that the majority suffers miserably, it is a gamble (hoping that one is the exception) and the odds are not good.

If you do not get a PEG the following may happen:
A) you will need a PEG anyway... which then will be more problematic. If you get radiated you will have a raw throat.
B) you might need hydration/feeding at the ER
C) you might get VERY lucky.

If you ask people who had a peg and therefore have experience what is like to have one, the following would be observed. There are those that absolutely needed a PEG and those may advocate that you need one. Then there are those who had one but did not use it or used it only rarely. Again! if you are VERY lucky you may belong in that group. Assuming now that you are lucky(!!) it is instructive to hear what that group has to say about it. If one scans the board the majority was glad that they had the PEG despite the fact that is was a nuisance. I did have a PEG and I used it only for a short time. Although I too lost weight I had no ER episodes for dehydration/feeding. In retrospect I probably could have done without it, nevertheless I am GLAD that I had the hated thing. As far as dependence goes: the fact that you have a PEG does not mean that you have to use it. Most of us want to get rid of the thing as soon as feasible. Stating that there is something wrong with those who are dependent on a PEG is just strange.


M