We live in the deep south so swimming season has started and we have a pool. It is the new "salt water" type. Do any of you swim with your PEG? I would assume a lake or something unclean would be out, but would think this may be ok...

I'm going to call the surgeon, just wanted to know your experience.

I"m not a swimmer, but I do recall my GI doctors saying that swimming was alright with the peg tube, But he frowned on swimming in in open bodies like bays. I would think a private pool would be the safest.

This is my second experience with a PEG and both times I was told I couldn't swim nor take a bath. Be sure to call and ask your doc.
Minnie

Michelle:

Please post your surgeons response. Mine told me no swimming at all.

The only place I have swum since I had my PEG is a dammed up mountain brook pool at my parent's house in Vermont where the water is so clean I also wouldnt' mind drinking it. Which is essentially what you do when you swim with a PEG--at least if you are in the water for any length of time--water will (gradually-not in a large amount all at once) leak through the PEG incision into your stomach. My MO told me a story about a patient that had one and didn't realize he couldn't swim and went swimming in the lake here (NOT drinking quality) and wondered why he had to pee so much after being in for quite a while.

That's why they tell you not to take a bath too--you don't want soapy water in your stomach. Obviously unclean and soapy water can also irritate the incision site too.

So the common advice from doctors is not to swim BUT if you go to the Oley foundation website (a foundation for people stuck with PEGS and other tpyes of feeding tubes), there is slightly different advice:

http://oley.org/lifeline/TubetalkJO05.html

note that this is a *patient's* perspective. I am sure there are doctors that would say she's taking some risks swimming even in the palces she considers safe.

Nelie

I was also told not to swim.... and frankly I did not have any desire for any outdoor activity either (I only had the peg for 2-3 months).
The other thing is: do NOT expose the radiated area to intense sunlight. This is a very bad idea you definitely do not want to get sunburnt. (you are already causing a lot of damage with the xrays additional UV damage is very very bad!!)

M

Michelle, thinking more about that Oley foundation article and your husband's case, it seems like it would be a bad idea for him to swim this summer because
1. his PEG is quite new--that article suggests that the PEG needs to be in for about 6 mos for there not to be significant leakage
2. From the chemo, his immune system is compromised and probably will be for a while which makes him unusally vulnerable to infection.
3. Also, like Markus said, he really should exposing his radiated neck and lower face to as little sun as possible - and being in a pool usually involves sun exposure.

Nelie