Esophagectomy surgery: Want to know what to expect

I go this morning for a PET scan. The pulmonary doctor called me the other day, FINALLY, and said that they want to do a biopsy on my lung and my lymph node. She will discuss more with me after the PET scan. Thank you all for your concern!!

Hi @loribroda

I'm glad to hear that you are getting a PET scan today. This has been a stressful time for you.

Will you provide an update after you get the results?

Yes, I will. Right now I am scheduled for a bronchial biopsy on March 21st. The doctor will look at the PET scan and contact me on Monday, and see what else needs to be done. Thank you for caring 🙂

Of, course, @loribroda. My good thoughts go with you. How are you feeling?

Well, I guess I'm feeling fine, just tired all the time. I got the results from the PET scan just now, but don't understand a word they said, so I will talk with my doctor on Monday.

I know it says I have a tumor in my bronchial and it has to be biopsied

Glad you are doing so well. Can you provide some food suggestions. My husband is out of surgery for two months and had his feeding tube removed about 2 weeks ago. We are continuing to find foods he can eat that agree with him. We keep trying different things and will continue to do so, just always looking for ideas.

He also still coughs up a lot of mucus. We are wondering how long that will last.

Hi @mcmuck29, welcome to the group. Fellow members @maryhelen @sepdvm @patriciagsr @survivorsuz @puprluvr @lori57216 can share their food suggestions as your husband transitions from the feeding tube to finding foods that agree with him.

While we wait for others to weigh in, you may be interested in the tips shared by members in these discussions.
- Esophageal cancer....transitioning to food https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/esophageal-cancer-transitioning-to-food/
- Soft Food Suggestions https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/soft-food-suggestions/
- Have you had the trach removed after esophageal cancer? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trach-after-esophageal-cancer/
- Feeding tube removal https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/feeding-tube-removal/

What foods have you discovered that work for your husband so far? Is there something that he particular enjoys?

I used smoothies made with an immersion blender to find what I could tolerate with protein and less sugar. Taste can be so strange after radiation but if it is a liquid you can get it down easier just to get nutrition in. I used a lot of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese in them for added protein that I couldnt really taste. Peaches tasted good so that was the main fruit for flavor. Berries were also included. Cream of wheat or my favorite Coco wheats make a good breakfast. Mashed potatoes with added dry milk or protein powder always tasted good and extra protein. I used some baby food also for a while. Bananas and avocado are very easy to swallow. Any fruit can be pureed like applesauce and served with cottage cheese or even cream cheese for protein. I also made turkey with gravy and pureed some meat into the gravy. An immersion blender worked great then, though I have a small Ninja blender now and I love it. Good luck with everything.

March 8 my husband had his entire esophagus removed, stomach pulled up to meet at throat. He was hospitalized 27 days. While in the hospital he went from clear liquids to semi-solid food and then would completely reject any solid food. We can go back to clear liquids and then full liquids. He had a J tube and they use that for about 10 days. Upon release from the hospital his J tube was intact and he was only on liquids, he was able to tolerate applesauce and pudding textures.
Since he has been home he’s had a lot of post surgical issues. Please feel free to share any experiences!
He’s some real issues with trying to keep any food down. There’s a lot of gurgling and bubbling in his throat. More often than not he is throwing up medications that he must take, he eats them in applesauce. Late in the day after eating dinner he has what’s known as dumping syndrome, massive amounts of diarrhea and cramping.

The J tube slid out three days after he got out of the hospital.

He was hospitalized again last week for two nights and we met his Gastro person in the ER who determined that his throat was closed up so badly a Camera could not be put down it so they carefully used a balloon to stretch the area. Once he could prove that he could keep solid food down they released us only within the next 24 hours he was throwing up again!

That’s just one issue that he’s having. The other one is that he has fluid on his left lung, on the outside. It keeps filling up. Since the surgery March 8 he has had the fluid removed four times, twice as an outpatient.
Any advice? Has anyone else had to go back and have stretching done?

We have follow ups with gastro, pulmonary and cardio ( he was tachy and in Afib for 2 weeks after surgery)