Dear Shirl,
I decided to dedicate a post to all the pegs in the forum and what they are upto. I know one thing as you mentioned my Pegsy dating yours would land up being a cheap date not in the crude sense - but financially) as they wont be eating or drinking. If any others want to join Shirl and i on this date - you are all welcome - but beware of my pegsy - its as bad and nutty as I!!!!

With love to all the pegs - may you all give proper nourishment to the select few who have had the opportunity to know or known each other as life savers.

Ananth

hooray!!! lets hear it for the pegs, without mine i'm certain that i would have faded away to nothing lol. love shirl xxx

Yes, since my operation (August 30 2007) I have been totally dependent on a peg. At the start in hospital I syringed bottles during day and had an overnight feed. It felt so strange at first. I was able to drink the awful things for a few weeks - it saved the laborious work of syringing.

After chemo+radio I was able to settle into an easy routine of 1500ml overnight from my little machine. My weight has kept stable and I have had no other problems. At first I had a couple of medicines to stop heartburn and nausea that were identified as side effects of the peg feed. That may or may not have been the case.

My nutrition nurse used to pop in every week to check up, but now I see her every 6 weeks or so.

I do not put any liquidised food through it, partly because the only problem I had with the peg tube was when a nurse ground down tablets (badly)and the tube had to be unblocked.

I am so glad for the peg, and know how much I depend on it. I do not know how to attempt eating again. To date I have tried soup and rice pudding, but I did not enjoy them at all. Doctors keep talking of liquidised Sunday dinners and mashed potato. I cannot imagine. Food seems so far away. I think that I have lost that drive.

I was talking to a fellow patient recently, he is eating very small ammounts of food and wants the peg out asap - he hates it. And he is willing to endanger his recovery.

So, thank you for the peg feed.

(K's husband)Martyn

Dear Martyn,
I am not very clear about you not taking in any liquids through your peg. Trust me just because of one bad experience - it should hardly set you back or get worried that it may happen again.I have all my medication - well which is nothing much as I have got over most of my medicines - but I have everything else through the tube - right from Pizzas, burgers, chinese and indian food. All are mixed so well in the blender and then strained to make it just the right thickness to slip it in through the peg.

One thing I am glad about the peg tube is that it has mantained me in the right shape that I always was and has managed to give that much nutrition to not just keep fit also mantain a well toned body. I am on trial of a new kind of a peg that is where the top of the peg from where you put the thick syringe is now I have the head flat against my stomach. This means If I put a bandaid over it - its completely hidden and is also a boon while working out. I really dont mind caring the tube that fits into the tube whenever I feel like having some thing to drink when I am out or "eat" when I am at home. I had along discussion with the doctors about a reconstruction - which both they and i felt was not worth it as am already fifty and had i taken this step say eight years ago - I may have gone in for it.
However just for informations sake - I have stopped completely from going to the hospital due to a promise i made to myself that come what may - I will not have any more treatment and will never be admitted into any hospital irrespect of however bad I may be. I have no intention on spending any more of my days looking at those hospital smell rooms and would rather spend the days with my sons, friends, writing to guys like a certain Martyn I know - who I am sure will soon be the most positive guy we will have on the forum.
Martyn, I'd love you to post some jokes on the chat forum "I have noticed..... as it will be a great morale booster not just for others but even for the nuts like me and certain others in the same category (or I stand alone??? tell me folks???)get their moral boosted with your jokes. They can be jokes or an real funny things that you had brushes with or heard others who did so. What do you think? I am a real toughnut to crack and will go on at you till you concede - so you might as well start. We will fight everything together.

Lots of love from Peggy and I,
Ananth

Hey Guys,
I was out at the weekend for dinner. So half of it ended up all over my face and half way down my front. Only had a starter and a dessert and couldn't even eat half of each, oh and coffee and an liquer, the restaurant lost most of their profits for the night on my use of napkins!
So what.
Unlike Ananth, at least I have the chance of being able to swallow and taste a little bit and I'm sure he does not begrudge us who can try!
Don't give up. Forget the people who look and stare, go for it!!!
I can't ever see me being able getting rid of 'Elizabeth' (As in names, Peg/Peggy is a short name for Elizabeth) but it won't stop me trying!!
SusieR
SusieR. xx

Oh and by the way Ananth,
Cheap date!!!!!! never have been and don't intend too start now, ha ha.
I think all of us here deserve the best dates ever, for all we have been through.
Hugs and Kisses
SusieR xxxx

My sweet and lovely Susie,
You are very right when you say, I have accepted what has happened and do not hold any grudges against my not being able to feed in public. Its not because i cannot but because it my just put off some other people who are out for a good time and I would not like to spoil their outing.

The "cheap date" was just kidding and you very well know that and I know excatly the kind of dates you love and abide by that.I agree with you that everyone here deserves to go on the best possible dates ever. Its their right after having been through so much. By the way - when Sonya and I went out on our wedding aniversary on the 21st. of March - we all went out together to a mall and it was so funny as I was getting the glad eye from a lot of the ladies/girls around. I had not noticed it till both my mother, Sonya and my eldest son Varun began laughing at my ignorance!!! Once I got to know, I first checked if my zipper was okay and then the tracheostomy - everything was just fine - so my evening went off pretty well and I really felt young again for a change!!!
All my love , xxx and hugs and some lovely roses to a wonderful person,
Ananth

Aw Ananth,
Now you've said that everyone is going to think I'm a high maintenance girl now
But you are right, everyone should go out and do their stuff and enjoy every minute!
Some of us may look different than before, some of us may sound different, some of us may have some extra tubes and bits that have made us adapt or make a change in lifestyle but hey, we should all go out and bw be proud we have got this far!!!
One thing though, I can't believe you did not notice the female attention coming your way!
Love and kisses
Susie xx

Ananth, you are the only person who would have thought of Celebrating PEG tu bes! But thank you, though I am still getting used to mine it will be with me forever I think. I am having mine replaced soon, been putting it off because I have one that hurts like you know what when it is pulled. It does not have a balloon, but some type flange (I guess) on the inside. So I am being a real chicken and won't have it changed until it gets another hole in it.

But when I do I am replacing it with something like yours, here we call it a "mickey" why I don't know. But for me this will be wonderful, I never realized how many clothes are fitted around the stomach and if I were one my tube bulges out. My husband always says, "is that your tube or are you just glad to see me" that always has me rolling with laughter. I know that is in bad taste, but it is funny.

Hugs to you all,

Leann