Feeding Tube

Hi John,

Honestly, it can for a few days, but it goes. They will give you pain relief too  I had codeine. I was set against it, but its standard practice at my trust (New Cross). 

I started using it around week 3/4 for the odd Ensure but mostly as I just didn't want to drink the soluble paracetamol and movicol some days. I was wholly dependent on it for 3-4 weeks after treatment as I was unable to swallow  without the PEG I would probably have been hospitalised. 

Mine was in for 6 1/2 months in the end, had it removed this week. Barely noticed it for the last couple of months. 

You may have read a number of posts recently. Seeker1 recommends the Monarch peg, but many of us weren't offered a choice. 

I think though the general consensus has been to have one. It's really important to maintain weight so your mask stays a snug fit and that your body has enough calories for the fight and recovery. 

Ronnie 

Hi John. Ronnie has said it all. It’s like an insurance policy you don’t want to use it but if you do need it it’s there. It rare for a  peg to be fitted once treatment has started. I had to agree to a n g tube which I did and not it was a lifesaver for me. Trust your teams advise. If you read one if today’s posts from Lizzie she is   in and needs a tube her hospital are reluctant to fit  the n g one hopefully she gets one this week. 
we are all different as we say. 
Hazel 

Thanks Ronnie and Hazel,

Appreciate the advice. Just scared of the procedure as I've a needle phobia and have had enough of them recently.

Just concerned as the operation is under local anesetic and frightened of the needle to stomach and that the incision and fitting etc will be painful.

Ronnie has pretty much covered it I think John, unless you're talking about the actual procedure of having it fitted? That isn't the most fun thing in the world as you need a naso gastric tube inserted first so the stomach can be inflated for the fitting, you need to be conscious for that as you have to use your swallow reflex to help get the tube down, but once that's done they give you a load of sedatives so the fitting is pretty much pain free.

I was actually, first time around, offered the choice of NG or PEG and I chose the PEG, and I would again. There is short term pain/discomfort but can be largely managed. If you choose not to have it done but then become unable to take in enough orally later on they'll probably only be able to give you an NG, which is harder to put supplements down (narrower tube) and is obviously more noticable. 

Once accustomed to a PEG it's dead easy, second nature after a while, I called mine my "piercing with attitude."

Thanks MIKEO,

Yes, it's the stomach peg but they said the camera will be inserted down my throat.

Just saw the follow up here John and no, as I said above, discomfort in the build-up but no pain to speak of at all during the actual procedure. 

Thanks MikeO,

Guess I will just have to man up lol.

Thanks guys

Hi John,

I was definitely not looking forward to having my PEG fitted either, but it was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. When I did have it fitted I would say I found brief moments lasting just a few seconds of the procedure unplaasant, but it wasn't painful. A few hours after the procedure it started to feel a bit more painful. They give me pleanty of pain relief so it was bareable. I felt very sore and delicate for several days. It probably took a couple of weeks for my body to mostly get used to it being there and for me to build up confidence in feeling ok with it being there. I was fully dependent on my PEG for around 3 weeks at the peak of my treatment. I'm a couple of months post RT now and still have the PEG but I'm not currently using it. I'm completely used to it and it doesn't bother me at all, so I'm in no hurry to get it taken out. It's kind of nice to know it is there just in case I should need it, though the chances of me needing it now are pretty small I think. If I ever had to go through this kind of treatment again, I wouldn't hesitate to have a PEG fitted, and I would not feel anywhere near as nervous about the procedure as I did. Not sure if that will help you feel less nervious about it, but hopefully a little!

Thanks,

Yes, I will just proceed with it.

Say one thing though! This treatment programme is nothing like I imagined it would be.

It's a Nightmare.

I salute all you guys who have been there.

Hi John,

Afraid you fo become a human pin cushion over the treatment, I tend to look away.

Similar to Mike  I remember swallowing the ng tube, then nothing. I thought I'd be more aware with local anaesthetic but I was completely out of it. 

Ronnie