Feeding tube

my partner went to week 5 eating and drinking but week 6 and 3 weeks after all through the rig ..we are now 4 weeks after and he is eating better everyday but still having 4-5 ensures a day to keep up the calories . 

Thank you for replying appreciate the information 

Eating has just got very very difficult today. Fairly sure I’ll be on the nasal tube next week.

Hi It’s does creep up in you your tubes there to help you. If  you  don’t get  sufficient hydration and nutrition in it can hamper recovery. It’s in so please use it m plus yiur medication can go through it. 

good luck Hazel 

Like many people my husband had a naso-gastric tube fitted in week 3 of RT/chemo. He relied on it from August to January, a few months after treatment finished. It was a complete lifesaver. He couldn’t even swallow a drop of water at one point but the tube got him through. We couldn’t imagine it ahead of time and thought he would enough will power not to need it - how naive we were! Don’t try to tough it out, the tube is your friend. You’ll be fine. Good luck. Xxx

Again thank you to everyone who has replied with advice and support. I was contacted by my cancer nurse 3 days ago and she confirmed that they will fit a feeding tube before they start treatment which they are now  getting underway.

Having a feeding rig fitted on 25 th a day after treatment starts I have tonsil and cancer on both sides of the throat HPV + . My throat is really sore now so happy to get something in place to help as aware things will get worse before they get better and eating and drinking will be problematic. I was told you can have the feeding tube put in before proactive or reactively as eating gets problematic, I went with the first rather get things in place and be ready for what comes my way . The choice is yours and wishing you the best in recovery 

Hi again thank you everyone for replying and advice. I have had feeding tube fitted peg and five teeth removed. The tube has been in a week now not having any trouble or discomfort but I will be looking forward to the day it is out. I will be starting radiotherapy and chemotherapy in 3 weeks time. Radiotherapy for 7 weeks and 2 doses of chemotherapy so at last the wait is over and I have dates and know the treatment which I have been told is curative.Sorry if my posts seems a bit erratic but I am not really used to emails and trying to get used to it.

Hi! 

My dad had his peg fitted before he started his treatment about two weeks before hand. We only needed to use the peg on week 6 of treatment due to him feeling sick and having a lot of mucus build up at the back of his throat. He had tonsil cancer which had gone into the lymph nodes within his neck so radiotherapy was needed within that area which affected obviously things such as his eating. He has now had his peg removed as of yesterday as we had only used it for a total of five days during week 6 six of radiotherapy. My dad had his peg fitted in January 2024 two weeks before treatment and removed June 2024. 

As others have previously mentioned, it’s absolutely not compulsory for you to have a feeding tube and every NHS trust is different as well as your consultant and team. Some like to have them in before treatment and some will put them in during treatment. 

I hope this helps of some sort! I wish you the best 

Thank you for information the peg fitted and kind of got used to it now I don't like rotating it though but that's me been a bit squimish. Starting radiotherapy in seven days tomorrow hopefully all will go well