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Esophagectomy: What is life like Afterwards?
Hello, my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in March. His tumor is very small and isolated, thankfully! He has been a champ and has finished chemo and radiation. His esophagectomy is scheduled in a couple of weeks. He and the rest of my family are starting to feel the fear and reality of this procedure. My dad's not a big talker but I know he is scared. I would love to connect with others to learn about what life has been like after this surgery so I can help support my dad. I am also hoping to get him involved with some support groups with others who have experienced the surgery. It would be so beneficial for him to connect with others who have been through what he is going through. Any insight on post-surgery recovery and life would be very appreciated!
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You may have missed my posts about post surgery coughing? I too had Esophagectomy surgery last December. Mine was at UCLA. I developed a dry, persistent cough that worsened as time went on, so four weeks post surgery my surgeon recommended re-admission to the hospital for a CT scan. The scan showed a lot of fluid surrounding my left lung. The inserted a drain in my left side (a fairly simple procedure, not requiring general anesthesia), and over the next two days more than a liter of fluid drained out. The cough was gone as soon as the fluid was gone, and I have had no recurrence. I would make sure your husband’s team looks at whether he has fluid in his chest cavity. Good luck to you both.
Does anyone have a cough after going through chemotherapy & radiation as well as surgery? My husband’s surgery was back in December. He has never gotten rid of the cough. Last visit he was told he is cancer free. Scans coming up soon and I’m feeling a little uneasy.
Hello from Tasmania, Sorry to hear about your father’s illness - it’s a worrying time for all family members. On the positive side, it sounds like his cancer has been picked up early before invading surrounding tissue and metastasising. The best situation from a prognosis point of view.
I’m 2 years post surgery and while life is different, it’s actually pretty good. It seems that everyone has their own story to tell which no doubt reflects a wide range of treatment after effects and outcomes. There’s no getting away from the fact that an esophagectomy is a very invasive procedure that will involve extended recovery time, the first month or so being the toughest. However, it’s nothing people can’t manage and improvements are noticeable right from the start.
The best advice I was given is to make sure you’re as fit as possible throughout the process - it makes a real difference. Post surgery lifestyle changes include small, frequent meals, sleeping with upper body elevated and a need for care with the food you eat and when you do so ( keep bedtime clear of food for a few hours). A positive outlook and family support are also important. This site is helpful to get input from many people with lived experience.
All the best for your father’s surgery. Regards Geoff
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2 ReactionsHi @colecarp
Hope you are doing well and glad to hear you are one year after surgery! My dad will receive care at Moffit, happy to hear you had a positive experience there. Did you also do radiation/chemo there ?
@dzpetralia , how is your husband doing? How are YOU doing?
Yes, of course.
@gdj my husband is about to ‘have’ this procedure and he is freaking out a bit. If you’re still available, could we connect please?
@ajax2026 Hi, sorry your brother is still feeling tired. He needs to eat, rest, do some walking and use the breathing exercise machine. He should get better soon. I wanted a stent so bad cause of my strictures but ended up doing a bunch of endoscopy sessions and then my own dilations. As for the leak it healed on its own. They just had me off food and very little ice to munch on for a few days. It was torture but I cheated and smuggled buckets of ice and I would gooble it like the cookie monster 🙂
I think the leak healed in the last 7 days I spent at hospital cause they had me eating soft food then. I kept the jtube for a couple of months after that. I eat EVERYTHING know and I thank God for my lucky stars. I am very vital and strong now and happy to be alive and living a normal life.
I am sure your brother will get better too. 🙂
@dkoehne spot on my friend, deff life changing, did chemo/radiation, dec jan a year ago,surgery 4/25...almost 1 year very life changing, only 170 to start and lost 30 lbs,elevated bed no alcohol, 65 years old,widowed on learning myself, treatments took care of cancer,but like everyone said it will come back so did surgery, thank the lord and all my medical staff for helping me,deff new life but still do some trucking, cut split lot wood walk couple miles a day,the acid reflux and belching is out of control, just did scope and there was food in there...they dilated to 18 and gonna go back down in couple months after 48 hrs liquid diet and dilate again with botox injection also...may take care of some issues..
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1 Reactionp.s. i forgot to ask if they used a stent to help heal the sprinkler? from your description though it sounds like they opted to do a feeding tube while it healed. Also, could you remind me what year you had your esophagectomy. I'm sure you said, but sometimes i have trouble finding past post. i hope your having a great day 🙂!