Kate, I couldn't get the video of the PEG belt to play but thank you for the link. I also couldn't find a price for it. I agree that one of those simple elastic bandages--the kind you use to bind a sprained ankle and a simple gauze pad under it next to the site--are really all that is needed. I have had my tube for a couple of years now and exercise quite a bit without problems--although I'm not doing things that require sudden etyensive stretching of my upper torso (things like tennis for example), which I could see might cause more problems.

Andrew, I am always hesitant to weight in with someone new in these discussions because I am someone with serious and probably permanent swallwoing problems caused by radiation--NOT caused by having a g tube--but my swallowing problems have been mistakenly interpreted by others as though they were due to having a tube. I've had a g tube for a while as a result and so I can be helpful about issues to do with the care of a g tube but if you get a g tube during treatment it doesn't mean you are any more likely to have permanent swallwoing problems. That is caused by radaition, your reaction to radiation, and other things such as whether you've also had tongue surgery beforehand.

I will say though that the surgery to place a g tube involves sticking an endoscope all the way down your esophagus into your stomach. Having that surgery when your esophagus is fine and unradiated is not a big deal (you're anesthetized when they stick the endoscope down and there's not much soreness after). However, if you wait to have it until you can't swallow because your throat is already a raw, blistered mess from the radiation, obviously sticking an endoscope down there is going to feel really bad for a while after. We have had posters here who thought they could make it through treatment without the tube and some, like David, were able to actually do so. But many were not and they really suffered getting a g tube mid-treatment when, to be honest, you are already suffering enough.

The thing to do is get the tube and don't use it unless you absolutely have to. There is no reason to use it after you get it if you don't need it (you just have to keep it flushed daily which takes no time at all) but you'll have it if you need it and won't fall behind the curve ibn terms of getting nutrition.

Nelie