Post treatment depression

I live in Texas so I’m out of luck on that option. Thank you for the info tho

That is too bad, because that is the main thing that helps me sleep.

Thanks for this, Susan. I'm new to the forum and the disease. I was diagnosed w/ adenocarcinoma, stage 1b in October 2023 (lower esophagus).

Instead of going straight into surgery, I chose a short-term (8 weeks) chemo and radiation stint suggested by my oncologists. This reduced tumour size remarkably, but since my entire esophagus was going to be removed, this radiation/chemo stint was designed (as I understand it) to attack any potential, unseen, small, groups of cancer cells either floating around my body looking for a place to land and start their violence, or have already done so - but either way need to be liquidated!

As far as the original poster's outreach with respect to depression coming on after the high-stakes efforts are in a comfortable lull... I can relate.

My sense is that it's a kind of PTSD.

I've had my esophagectomy now, it was 6-weeks ago. Recovery has been pretty tough and I had to be readmitted for a week with uncontrollable vomiting, but I'm home again and getting it under control.

But this has of course been a momentous event in my life and required the piling on of new resources and new people at a near constant rate. Decisions all carried such terrible import and the veil between life and death became so thin as to have become unseen at many times.

But I can see the teeny light at the end of the tunnel now and distant though it may still appear to be, it's enough that it occurs to me that the emotional, and psychological pace that I have been keeping is likely unsustainable, even though I got used to living that way.

As a result I feel a genuine sense of 'let down' over the idea that my job is to return back to the 'grind', back to the anonymity of a worker ant. Cancer made life so simple in so many ways, and as life's complexity returns, if it returns (I'm not in the clear by any means), I can forsee myself having to make just as large an adjustment "coming down from cancer" as I did going up. Perhaps simply acknowledging this as a huge job, separate from the others, can be enough to move one on from depression to... frustration? lol.

I hope my rambling hasn't offended any rules or good taste. It is difficult to discuss this topic and I am grateful to you for doing so. Kudos mate, w/ love from Canada's West coast.

You are a hero for those of us that have yet to go through what you have done. I hope you know that God bless you and keep up the good fight

I have traveled this road also. Look into Magnesium supplementation as it can be low and interfere with sleep. I found some relief with a supplement that is made into a drink or a tea from the Nuun product line. Nuunlife.com and the product is called Rest. I also use an essential oil diffuser with lavender beside the bed. There are lavender sprays that also help. I am lucky that taking 2 Tylenol at bedtime helps my stay asleep also. Using several things at once is more likely to help you than just trying one at a time. I also use 2 MG of Melatonin occasionally. More is not better with Melatonin. Good luck on this issue. Getting 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep is such a luxury.

Welcome, @jumpin138. I see from your bio in your profile that you're a musician. What's your "ax"?

Have you recently been diagnosed with esophageal cancer? Finished treatment? How are you doing?

I am a bass player and singer. I have used Fender and Alembic basses but good old Fender Precision is my favorite.
I was recently diagnosed with Dysphasgia caused by DISH and I had a bone spur removed from my throat. Because it involves my esophagus I wash interested in other people going through throat challenged. I hope you are healing.

Thanks for sharing a bit more. You're certainly welcome here. You may be interested in these relevant discussions about

- Dysphasigia https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/?search=Dysphasgia
and
- DISH (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=%22DISH%22

Thank you so much for the info. Thank you for allowing me to contact you all. I have much to learn and I hope i can share my experiences with the people in this group. Together we can help each other face the uncertainties that lay ahead. Thank you for your support.

Exercise and eating habits are vitally important to getting over the post treatment depression. I, too, just turned 70. I am 4 years post treatment except for the 1 year of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy was a non-event for me, just like you, but it sure beat sitting around and just waiting. Being proactive and working out and walking help me to know I am beating the silent killer. I also bought a couple of 3D printers and Lasers just to keep my mind busy. I almost never think of the issues I had adjusting and live life like I still have all my body parts, except I don’t stuff myself at meals and I do sleep with my upper body at an angle. I am a side sleeper and had to adapt. Now it is a non-issue. And we just bought two widescapes yesterday to keep us active in winter. (google them. they are like snow scooters). Last year three of us guys took a ski trip to British Columbia. It was amazing and I was able to keep up. You will feel better with time, I promise. And once the new behaviors become habits you will have it made.