My husband has esophageal cancer in the lower 3rd of his esophagus. He just underwent chemo and radiation in March/April. He’s 58 and in relatively good health. It was very hard on him. He has trouble swallowing so he suffered from dehydration/malnutrition and wa hospitalized twice. The second time they inserted a feeding tube and it has been incredibly helpful!
He has an esophagectomy a week from today. His petscan from last week showed the cancer REALLY responded to treatment. It was hard road but worth the nausea, tiredness and sickness.
Be sure to do ALL you can to stay hydrated and don’t hesitate on getting a feeding tube. Makes all the difference!

Hi colleen I go to radiation 5 days a week I start on August 1st I'm going
for radiation at hackettstown medical center I thought the Simulation was
the easiest part how far along are you with your treatments sorry for not
replying sooner if you don't mind how old are you hope everything is well
talk soon Patricia

Hi colleen my radiation starts August 1st I go for treatment 5 days a week I thought Simulation was the easiest part how are you doing

Hello Patricia:
I was diagnosed with stage III esophageal cancer in early 2019. I had chemo therapy and radiation prior to my minimally invasive esophagectomy (July 2019). The first few months were challenging with an infection at the feeding tube site but after that was finally removed I progressed well.
The recovery is a slow progression but it does get better every week. Remember to keep your stamina up be walking on a flat area like a parking lot. My husband would go with me to a large office park and getting outside to hear and watch the birds, squirrels, etc. was a good way to walk further than I originally planned.
Eating something every hour or so is important. Remember to chew, chew, chew before swallowing to give your digestion help & avoid dumping syndrome. I found very cold foods and liquids were not compatible with my digestion so I drank tap water and avoided ice cream for a few months but can enjoy eating a bowl now.
Also, I had difficulty with sweets causing me stomach cramps so read the contents of packages and I keep a serving at or below 12 g and that seems to be a good limit for me. Over the years I can gradually increase it.
So here it is three years post surgery and I can eat a little larger portions, gained back 10 lbs. (I still need to gain another 10), enjoy going out with friends & family and have a positive outlook that I have a lot of life ahead.
Work closely with a dietician to find a plan that is tailored specifically to you. Everyone has different reactions to some foods so give some alternatives a try. I did well with Carnation Instant Breakfast (light start has less sugar) mixed with milk but other people like readymade Boost or ensure drinks. I also found a yogurt brand of :Ratio that has 25 g of protein so it's a great snack that is easy to digest.
Reaching out for support is a great connection to find others that have had a similar journey. It certainly helped me put things into perspective on how long the recovery process is.
Good luck!