MS T,

Well I already put my 2 cents in earlier, and I have to say I'm glad he's getting the PEG. As the rad treatments progress, so will the burning in his mouth. I just wanted to mention 2 things I didn't mention in my earlier post:

I was way too dehydrated, so they started to hydrate me by IV. If done at chemo, they just add another bag - no problem. Well, that was one less thing for me to worry about, which I was grateful for. There was just no way for me to get enough fluids on my own.

I was staying in housing for out-of-towners in treatment, run by the Am. Cancer Soc. As much as I stubbornly DIDN'T use the tube, there was another patient there who absolutely refused to try to swallow anything at all. His wife would come out to the dining area, so worried, and tell us that she couldn't even get him out of the suite, except for treatments. She tried & tried to get him to swallow anything, but he just wouldn't, and that was that. I left before they did (to the hospital, unfortunately, not home), but I often wonder how they fared after.

I hope that telling you my mistakes, and his, will help your husband (& you) to avoid them both.

Lani

Lani