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Eating after an esophagectomy
I was recently diagnosed with esophagus cancer, long story short diagnosis was late (months past initial symptoms) partially my fault, partially doctors. Anyway, I am about to start chemo and immuno therapies next week, then supposed to have an esophagectomy in mid/late July; and I'm terrified of "life after" that surgery and am hoping to hear from people here, real world examples I suppose, of what that is like primarily around eating.
I can handle the smaller meals, sleeping at a bit of an incline etc albeit not happy about it of course, but what really concerns me is actually eating / chewing / swallowing.
I've discovered even with my esophagus closed up so I can't really eat I can still get some "treats" past it; a Reeses PB cup for example. Although regardless I'll pay with some discomfort while my system processes it, if I chew it to the point of being just nothing, like liquid/paste, I can get it down. Same with other items even a bit of cheese etc. Trick is to chew to the point of being a liquid / paste before attempting to swallow.
This is where my terror kicks in. I don't even do the treats like this after discovering this because frankly having to process it in my mouth for that long, chewing etc, takes every ounce of enjoyment out of it. Gone. It's a chore & miserable.
TLDR; will this need to be done with all meals for life after this surgery? Or will I be able to get back to "normal'ish" chewing and swallowing? I know I'll need to keep with the j tube, then move onto liquids, then soft foods etc till I can get to solid food during recovery likely months worth. But, I'm terrified that I'll have to chew to this extent for the rest of my life, absolutely demolishing my love of food (I'm a good cook/foodie; it's something I love).
Would love to hear some first hand accounts of what you're experience has been with this?
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Hi from Tasmania, I’m 2 years post esophagectomy and cannot only swallow normally but eat moderately large meals without symptoms associated with dumping syndrome. The dysphasia you currently experience is likely (but not guaranteed) to improve with chemo / radiotherapy and after a period of recovery, return pretty much to normal postoperatively. I’ll stress there are no guaranteed outcomes but your concerns about the need to chew excessively for the remainder of your life are unlikely to be a major issue. The challenge ahead from my experience is getting through the treatments and surgery. Getting and maintaining optimal fitness is very important in progressing through the challenges ahead.
Best wishes with your treatment. Geoff
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2 ReactionsMy husband is 3.5 years post-surgery. He has no issue with chewing, swallowing etc. He is able to eat a regular size meal - the challenge he faces is with dumping syndrome. It is more about the types of foods he can have, not from a mastication standpoint but from a digestive standpoint.
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3 ReactionsI am five months post-Esophagectomy. I didn’t have cancer, but a stricture in the upper part of the esophagus. I underwent numerous Esophageal dilations over a four year period until it stopped working, and I couldn’t swallow even water. I had the Esophagectomy in early December. Had the feeding tube for six weeks after. When I started eating again, chewing and swallowing was a bit of a challenge, but it continued to improve. Now I can swallow normally and don’t have to over-chew everything just to get it down. If you do have swallowing issues post-surgery, they can do dilations to stretch the constriction. Good luck to you in your journey.
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1 ReactionI’m 6 months post Esophagectomy. I was eating soft foods before I left the hospital after 10 days. Last night I chewed a delicious steak portion and was totally fine. Everyone is different and you can get 1000 different povs but you can get through it. Patience and time.
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1 ReactionThe most important point (as with almost all issues here) is that everyone's experience is different. I was lucky. I was off my feeding tube in a month (off the 30-degree wedge as well), on soft foods for a couple of weeks, and then experimenting with regular foods. Four months after surgery I spent a couple of weeks in the Netherlands, eating pretty much what I wanted (except for un-ground red meat) albeit in modest portions. But again it's different for everyone. Good luck!
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3 ReactionsToday is Day 30 post Ivor Lewis surgery. Still on feeding tube but half of when I started. Had lost 13 pounds since surgery and all of it was during my 11-day hospital stay. I started taking nibbles of my wife's yogurt & egg salads while in the hospital. Earlier this week I ate a taco salad and two nights ago I ate an entire ground beef burrito over a couple of hours-not because I couldn't finish it, but out of precaution. Been having lots of scrambled eggs, soups, mashed potatoes, omelets, smoothies. I probably could do more, but I really don't want to mess things up. Between chemo & surgery, and knowing they didn't get all the cancer, I don't want to take any unnecessary risks.
Best of luck to you!
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1 ReactionI had Ivor Lewis esophagectomy August 2025. Tumor was at esophagus stomach junction. For me, the really hard thing to get used to was the volume of food. I used to eat once a day for other reasons than esophageal issues and that was/is a concern. It is rough at first... mentally more than anything else for me... water/liquid volume is an issue as well... but it got better for me and it is getting better. I had the chemo power port and J Tube put in early last year way before surgery... J tubes suck in my opinion but it is manageable. Sorry to hear you are headed down this road.
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1 Reaction@gpit
Seems like exact same road. I got j tube about 3 weeks ago, first chemo session is tomorrow (got the port a week ago) then surgery in mid-late July and my tumor is in the exact same place.
Did chemo help to reduce the tumor for you before surgery so you could drink fluids again? I can only take tiny sips here and there currently so staying on top of hydration has been a challenge...currently doing 100ml flushes every hour on my feeding tube on a 12-13 hour feeding cycle (so 1200ml from that). Still have another 25+ oz of fluids I need to take in and it's brutal, I just cannot get them down.
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1 Reaction@geoff123
Thank you for weighing in. Truly appreciate it.
@mcdonsco
I had very little trouble before surgery I actually went looking for reason why occasionally I had trouble swallowing... did not use j tube until after surgery. I fasted on the days I had chemo... the day of treatment, the day after while I had a chemo pump attached to me, and the third day when I had the pump removed. This was every other week. Oncologist said at the last PET scan before surgery, he had never seen a tumor shrink that small... I'm extremely low/no carb