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Looking for others' experiences with Esophageal Cancer treatments
Esophageal Cancer | Last Active: Sep 9, 2023 | Replies (98)Comment receiving replies
tough for me to add anything positive as i am going through a very difficult time. my first surgery was on February 20. on March 1 i went home only to go back that night because of breathing issues. turns out my esophagus leaked into my lung. on March 4 i had another surgery when they detached my esophagus and stomach. i was in the hospital for 1 month , then rehab for 1 month. now home for the last 3 months with a j tube and a fistula drain, i am preparing for my 3rd surgery to put stomach and esophagus back together on August 25...acceptance, patience, and tolerance have been helpful for me
Replies to "tough for me to add anything positive as i am going through a very difficult time...."
Hang in there - it will be your last surgery and then just recovery. Month after month you will get stronger and better !
Fistula are not good. I've talked to a few who have had them... not many surgeons even know how to repair properly, and of course they come in many shapes and sizes. How was it you were discharged from the initial esophagectomy? Everything looked perfect during your leak test? When did you first notice things weren't going down correctly... even water? How big is this perforation in your esophagus? And what technique are they using (sponges and stents?) to close this off? This could take months! Even in southern California there are not many who are experienced in fixing these. In currently talking to a gal who had her surgery in Dec... and is still getting this fixed. Had to travel up to USC's Keck hospital near downtown LA to find someone who could maybe fix her fistula. 6 months, on and off, with stents. So this has obviously set her back from being on with the normal post-op pathway towards digestion. And that really sucks!
I will pass on her contact info if you are interested... and she approves... which I'm sure is a slam dunk. But we must follow protocol.
All the best,
Gary, Southern California
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Sounds like you've had a tough road. Thanks for your honesty and I will be keeping you in my thoughts as we all battle this monster together.