Looking for others' experiences with Esophageal Cancer treatments

Sorry to hear he is having such a hard time. I was fortunate to only have the nausea issue in the last week of chemo and radiation. I was being stubborn and wouldn't let my wife take me to treatment but had to give in during the last week. I also needed iv hydration for a couple weeks after treatments finished and needed to take a month break before going into surgery. I have found asking for help is something we all need to do during treatments and surgery.
Unfortunately with surgery sleeping will be different for the rest of our lives. I sleep on a foam wedge that keeps anything in your stomach instead of coming up into your throat or into your lungs.
I was 60 when diagnosed and am now 63, I to other than being overweight was otherwise healthy before cancer.
With all that being said it's still worth what we go through to beat this terrible disease. Keep fighting and remember when going through this we are stronger together. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Good luck with your surgery.

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Im so sorry to hear how hard it has been for the both of you. I’m praying with everything inside of me that things will turn around for him soon. I know it’s hard, but you have to try to stay positive and keep fighting. You WILL win this battle.

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Thank you so much. Very encouraging. My husband is stubborn too but the nausea and vomiting is wearing him down. I just read your response to him. I hope he regains hope that the nausea may not be forever!
We bought the adjustable bed already and he loves the zero gravity feature . The wedge was way to uncomfortable for him. But lately he has to be 90 degrees upright. After the surgery I imagine the bed will work out great .
I will keep you posted. Thank you for shedding the light at the end of the tunnel!

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Thanks for the note. Did chemo and radiation without any issue until treatment stopped, them two weeks of feeling poopy and loss of appetite. Starting to feel better now. PET scan July 13 and meet with the surgeon July 17. Shooting for mid August surgery? I'd like to take a few weeks off at my cabin in Colorado before surgery but I'll have to see how I feel. I will definitely reach out to you in the next few weeks before meeting the surgeon. Lots and lots of questions, but then again what you don't know won't hurt you. I know there can be a lot of complications but everyone is different. You only hear of the horror stories on the internet. Thanks for reaching out and Happy 4th!!!

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There are so many challenges we face with Esophageal Cancer. If what I have been through can in any way help someone else I consider that a blessing.
We also an adjustable bed but I found that I was continously sliding down the bed which gave too many nights with reflux happening. Since this is very uncomfortable and dangerous for our lungs I decided to go back to the wedge. The difference is I went on line and found a wedge that was larger than the 24"×24"×12" one I was given by the surgeon. This one is 31" wide by 33" long and 12" deep. By being wider I don't fall off, by being longer I don't slide down. I like it so much I bought another for our camp so sleeping is the same in both places, continuity is important with all the changes we face.
Eating will also be much different after surgery. The will probably give you a list of what you can and can not eat. What I have found two years post surgery is you body will quickly tell you what you can eat and even quicker what you can't. Don't get discouraged though because you will find a balance in your journey. I have lost over 80 pounds since my journey began but have maintained my current weight for about a year.
You will probably have other times after surgery that will be very tough but it is worth it .

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I am brand new to this site... still have no clue how to even navigate this thing. Not sure how to private message yet either. ... but I'm just here to help and advise should you need it. I'm still on my own EC journey, now 3 years post-op. I always provide others my cell phone... but not yet sure if this is in private... and most EC sites consider private info out in the open a faux pas. Should you need any help or have questions... about surgery, post-op journey, immunotherapy... maybe then I'll be able to figure things out.

Gary

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Thank you Gary! We are just in the beginning of the journey. I’m not quite sure from the endoscopy on April 14 until now it’s definitely been a fast ride. I got him into appointments quickly by the grace of God making sure I called for every cancellation of appointment so that I could get in quicker. Six weeks of radiation and chemo are done, but it wasn’t until the last couple weeks that I see my husband deteriorate. Now we are in that six weeks of recovery, but it sure is difficult. The nausea and vomiting are real. He does not do well with that. Surgery will be in six weeks. Did you ever regain your immune system and your strength for such an extensive surgery? I’ve been a postsurgical nurse for majority of my career, and it’s very difficult to recover from such an extensive surgery if you’re going in very weak and somewhat immunocompromised.
I want to take the entire month off after his surgery to assist him. But he thinks the whole we need a week off and then back to work. How long did it take before you became more independent after your surgery? To drive to doctor appointments, to be able to manage your activities of daily living, including tube, feedings by yourself etc .
Just some questions I have. Thank you.

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Thank you Gary! We are just in the beginning of the journey. I’m not quite sure from the endoscopy on April 14 until now it’s definitely been a fast ride. I got him into appointments quickly by the grace of God making sure I called for every cancellation of appointment so that I could get in quicker. Six weeks of radiation and chemo are done, but it wasn’t until the last couple weeks that I see my husband deteriorate. Now we are in that six weeks of recovery, but it sure is difficult. The nausea and vomiting are real. He does not do well with that. Surgery will be in six weeks. Did you ever regain your immune system and your strength for such an extensive surgery? I’ve been a postsurgical nurse for majority of my career, and it’s very difficult to recover from such an extensive surgery if you’re going in very weak and somewhat immunocompromised.
I want to take the entire month off after his surgery to assist him. But he thinks the whole we need a week off and then back to work. How long did it take before you became more independent after your surgery? To drive to doctor appointments, to be able to manage your activities of daily living, including tube, feedings by yourself etc .
Just some questions I have. Thank you.

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