Kate:
I have updated our website. I would love your feedback.

I know the belt will not be for everyone but after watching it help my father in law I know there are benefits for individuals dealing with some of the feeding tube issues I have mentioned.

Look forward to hearing from you.
Best of Luck!

www.thepegbelt.com

In our personal experience it was a huge mistake to not get the PEG tube from the beginning. My husband had his put in when it was almost too late. He was severely dehydrated and rapid weight loss and the surgery was REALLY hard on his "beat-up" body. But even with all the sheer hell of getting it put in he said he would do it again and again. We put formula, water and meds down the tube. Even at his VERY worst though he never stopped swallowing. He still carried something to drink around with him to take little sips.

Hi, Andrew,

I am so grateful that my husband got the feeding tube at the same time as his biopsy (when they got the first results confirming the cancer diagnosis) and got a port as well. He didn't use it until he had to but at no time in his treatment did he suffer from dehydration or lack of calories or have to miss taking meds that helped control all sorts of things such as pain, nausea, and constipation. We used a pump and he could control how quickly the osmolite went in and watch tv, read or rest during that time and not worry about nausea, etc. As a caregiver I absolutely could not have helped my husband maintain calories and hydration during the worst weeks of treatment without the tube. Even if I had literally held a gun to his head there were about 3-4 weeks when he could not have or would not have made himself drink boost. It had nothing to do with him needing to be tougher or more self-reliant but with some extreme treatment effects. I think that Nelie says it very well that there are individual differences in response to treatment and that we don't know in advance how our bodies will react to the treatment. And, people do have different treatments. My husband had induction chemo prior to beginning 7 weeks of combo radition/chemo and I know that extra 8 weeks of treatment and additional chemo (3 types) made his overall treatment more difficult than it would have been had he had the more typical 7 weeks of chemo/radiation. Plus, like Nelie, he developed some swallowing problems.

Andrew- you have mentioned not being sure who can help you as a caregiver. If you do need to hire someone or have others help, the feeding tube may work better than having someone try to make you swallow your boost. My sister-in-law came from CA several times to help and she thought the tube was extremely important in her being able to help.

I could not have done this Tx alone. I don't see how anyone could. You definitely need a caregiver.