Peg fitting procedure

Hi Sarah. Well done on getting through. I know some people find it difficult. I’m a nosey sort and was fascinated by it all. 
They sedate you for the PEG. Most people report that they don’t remember a thing. It does take a couple of weeks to settle and fur the tummy cramps to go. 

To have a PEG, an endoscope (camera) is inserted via your mouth into your stomach, to view the stomach lining. When the insertion site for the PEG is located, a small incision is made under local anaesthetic in the skin. The PEG tube is passed into your mouth, down through your stomach and out through the incision. It will then be secured in place and its position checked with the endoscope.

Macmillan have a little info here 

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/nutritional-support/enteral-nutrition#:~:text=The%20person%20putting%20the%20PEG%20then%20cleans%20the%20skin%20of,feeding%20tube%20into%20the%20stomach.

Don’t worry too much about not needing to eat. I took nothing orally for 8 weeks and my swallow is fine. I had exercises to do. I did them religiously and still do. 

Bless you Dani, that's good to know   and thanks for the link. 

Yes treatment kicks off in a couple of weeks with 7 wks of radiotherapy 5 days a week and 40% dose of cisplatin 1 per week for 7 wks if tolerated but 5 weeks will still be good .

I am getting prepared for it all, not going to lie I'm petrified but I know mentally that I'm not on my own with all this I will have lots of support from all the team, my husband, friends and family, you all amazing people and no doubt other patients I shall meet through this journey.

I feel blessed and humble to be on this forum xx

Hello Sarah, I told them I am claustrophobic, so I had a mask with my face  open .

Some people find getting a Peg fitting fine.  I was in agony for days but painkillers helped a lot. After a week I did some stretching exercises which helped too

Hi as long as you keep doing the swallow and jaw exercises don’t stresssbiut the swallow we don’t forget how to. I was NG tube  fed for 6 weeks 3 before 3 sfterwsrfd and I started to sip ensures. Fear is only nary once treatment starts you get into a rhythm honestly. 

hazel well done on mask. 

Hi Sarah,  PEG fitting differs between people, some have a bit of trouble at first, but most are fine, they take a few days to settle down, you will be shown how to use and clean it, which you will quickly get used to. You will be really pleased to have it if eating becomes difficult during your treatment. If you have any worries or questions along the way, just ask, someone will always answer if they can.

Ray.

Hi Sarah

I had my PEG fitted in April 2023 (removed September 2023)

Sedated prior to fitting....fell asleep during procedure ....felt nothing....spent one night in hospital under observation.

Moderate abdominal muscle pain for the next 5 days...well managed by pain meds....

Removal was quite painless.

Peter

DesR said:

Hello Sarah, I told them I am claustrophobic, so I had a mask with my face  open .

Wow. I didn’t know you could have that. I do advise people to ask to have eyeholes cut. Many masks have them pre formed these days. My RT was over five years ago and things move on. Have you a picture? 

Thanks. That looks almost comfortable.

Wow   that's incredible wish I'd have known about this, had the eyes marked out they said they will be cut out ready for my first day thank goodness as the mask was pushing my eyes down and put a lot of pressure on them