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What to do? Husband won’t drink enough 6 months after Ivor lewis
Hello, is anyone else struggling to drink enough fluids ? My husband has had the Ivor Lewis surgery 7 months ago and finds it difficult to drink enough. I’ve had to take him up to ED twice for fluid to be administered as he gets so dehydrated, becomes dizzy and has blacked out twice. No matter how I try and encourage him to drink more, he just won’t, or says he can’t fit more fluids in while trying to eat all his food daily. All up, in a day, he sometimes manages one litre but I’m sure that’s not enough ?
Thanks for any advice
Deb.
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@suensteve17
We are in South Island Timaru. My husband had his Ivor Lewis op in Christchurch. Beef and choc are also off the menu for him…and other foods that cause him reflux..lots to learn. He was 74-76 kgs b4 he was diagnosed…down to 56 kgs now. Hes 6 ft 2…so very thin. He can’t gain weight and is in ch ch now just had a Jtube feeding tube operation. Hopefully that will help him.
Deb
@emersonmoon
Hello, my husband had his Ivor Lewis last November 2024. Sounds like he’s in a very similar boat..can’t gain, so has just had a Jtube op so he can have overnight feeding. He has passed out several times due to dehydration and been taken to ED for fluids through a drip. He had 8 weeks of FLOT chemo b4 his operation and was meant to have 4 more sessions but his body just couldn’t handle it so he only had 1 after his Ivor Lewis. He had a good report after his operation and his surgeon believes he has removed all the cancer. We are working at getting stronger and gaining weight. He is starting to feel better in himself 🙂
Deb
I really hope it helps. I initially lost about 20 kgs then put it back on then it all fell off again. We are in Christchurch. I would be keen to in know who the surgeon was.
I have to be careful about everything I eat but I think I am slowly making progres. My biggest issue I think is a lack of physical ability to do the things I used to do. It's also frustrating going out for a meal with friends these days as all I can manage is an entree however I just keep reminding myself that I'm here and nearly wasn't in numerous occasions. Gotta stay positive
@suensteve17
yes we do…his surgeon was rukshan ranjan…I think that’s how it’s spelled…he was very good and a lovely man. We are heading back to Timaru tomorrow. 😉 my husband has lost 20 kgs also…he was slim to begin with 😬 hopefully this tube does what it’s supposed to. Pleased you are making progress ! Did you have a feeding tube ?
Deb
Hi again Deb. Same surgeon. He's a lovely guy. Gave my husband his personal cell phone number and every time I wind up back in hospital he comes to see me.
I was diagnosed in the September and had an NG tube by November which remained until August the following year. The tumor was a stage 4. Rukshan didn't want any other tubes in my abdomen as he wanted to keep the surgical field clear of scar tissue until the surgery. It was problematic but necessary. I also had a heart attack because of the 5FU chemo which caused more problems .
I was kept fed with a ensure pump going all night every night then other products by day.
I wound up doing 3 months rehab out at Burwood where they put me on a drug called mirtazipine. It's an antidepressant which helped me sleep but it also has an appetite stimulator. I'm not taking it any longer but I I think it helped. I force myself to drink fluids but still wind up being admitted every now and then for rehydrating.
Sue
Hi sue, Oh gosh, you have been thru a lot too…and you had the same surgeon ! He certainly goes the extra mile for you doesn’t he. We have a lot of trust in him, and feel we were so lucky he was Kerry’s surgeon.
Kerry couldn’t handle the NG tube as he could still manage to eat some food orally, which made it difficult to get it past the tube.
It was our dietitian who pushed for the Jtube. They don’t often like to do them here in nz as they can be problematic, but it seemed a last resort for him to gain weight. They seem to automatically use them often in the states.
Kerry was transported from ch ch to Timaru hospital by ambulance today. He’s recovering well, learning to use the tube and hopefully can gain some weight 🙂 should be home tomorrow or the next day. It’s an ensure pump which runs overnight also, and he has also been on mirtazipine for a while. I’m always having to encourage him to drink more, he’s just not one to constantly sip water but finds he can drink some juices easier.
Hoping things get easier for you too, wishing you all the best ! And hope you are not too affected by the winds tomorrow !
Deb x
@deb005 actually, it’s not ensure running thru Kerry’s pump, it’s called osmolite…hoping to switch it to the higher calorie type soon, 😊 he is lactose intolerant but I have managed to find an ice cream he really enjoys..tip top salted caramel dairy free ice cream…new world and pak n save stock it 🙂
Hope the tube is going well.
I have a son who is lactose allergic also. Makes getting those good dairy fats tricky.
@suensteve17
Hi sue, yes it does make it tricky. I’d love to make him deserts with loads of cream to help put weight on him !
He can have hard cheeses so that helps 🤞
Tube is going well..how are you going at the moment ?
Deb
Pretty good thanks. Bad abdominal pain today but it's because I had a couple of biscuits earlier so my own fault. I think I must be a slow learner or just have poor willpower. Every time I do this to myself I resolve to do better but.....yeah sure.
It's the cancer that keeps on giving or evolving. Be prepared for your husband to eat something one day then have it coming back on him next time.