My husband is having an Esophagectomy: What does recovery look like?

Lots to type. Send me a message if you’d like to chat and I’ll give you my number. I had mine 10 weeks ago at Mayo Phoenix.

For me it was two days in the ICU followed by nine days critical care and final day in general room before being released for home. CRITICAL to get up and walk as often as possible so listen to the physical therapy team. You won't feel like it at all but I'm convinced taking those actual steps every day helped save my life. I was on IV for hydration/nutrition for about nine days before graduating to minimal clear liquids and at least another week of that diet once I returned home before stepping up to Cream of Wheat/Pudding/etc. This is a brutal operation that really kicks your butt so I emphasize again that PT as soon as possible is critical. Because I walked as often and as far as possible in hospital we over prepped for my return home with the purchase of a walker frame and ramps at home. By the time I was released from the hospital I had my careful shuffle down and we could have saved that money. Pain management was exceptional in the hospital so the biggest challenge I faced was complete exhaustion. Plan to spend the first month home napping a lot. I think I was able to carefully shower by myself after about five days at home and began walking around the driveway the second week. Some manageable pain from the incisions for three weeks and some nerve pain damage in my right chest that persists to this day six months later. (Surgeon says eventually the body will reroute.) Once I was released to solid food I was able to physically swallow pretty much like normal although there is a slight difference that is hard to articulate. Fluids go down slightly differently and everything makes me burb. I experience what I think is "dumping syndrome" at least every couple days, a blood sugar imbalance with horrible sweats, probably tied to how much or how quickly I eat and I'm still struggling to get a handle on it. I continued to lose weight slowly for months after the surgery due to lower appetite and smaller meals but my weight has seemed to stabilize this week at 175 lbs which is pretty healthy for my 6 ft. frame. I used to enjoy craft beer breweries but carbonation is a problem now so that was a hobby adjustment. Fruit juice, especially citrus seems the easiest to ingest. I'll circle back to having a very cautious and compassionate surgeon and medical team that kept me on iv's and then clear liquids until they were absolutely positive my throat had healed and who encouraged and worked with me to regain mobility the second day out of surgery. This is a long path to recovery and after several months I am probably at 80% of "normal." I still take a nap every day now but I'm 67 and that may not be surgery related 🙂 Feel free to message me if I can answer any specific questions about my experience. I need to pay forward all the kind people who guided me.

I had mine August 3 at Mayo in Rochester. Am also happy to talk with you about it if you message me, I will give you my phone number.

Sorry I am from Canada and do it have a long distance plan. So phoning is not very ideal. Sorry

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me your experiences. It truly means the world to me.
Thank you😂

I can type more later.

I’m on my way to Mayo this morning to have feeding tube removed. I’m eating good. Yay!

I’ve been fortunate each step along the way. Not that it’s been easy, but given results.

If you have particular questions, let me know - maybe I can answer giving you my experience.

That was supposed to be a heart not a laughing emoji haha sorry 😞

I was not in the ICU.

Spent 12 days in hospital. Couple of extra days because drainage continued through tubes that had been inserted. Pain was reasonably controlled with meds.

Initially, it was challenging to move from bed to a chair three feet away. Needed help on both sides of me. That got better relatively quickly.

Soon, I was walking the halls with help and accompanied by my IV pole connected to multiple tubes. Walking got to be fun actually.

At first, I needed help to get to the bathroom. Or do anything really. That got better too after several days.

For me, one of worst parts was the NG tube put down my nose. Got very annoying- painful. Nobody likes them, which everybody knows. Mine stayed in a couple of days longer because of drainage, and despite my advocating for it to be taken out. Ha!

But the NG tube is important of course.

When I was discharged, I took pain meds as prescribed. They helped, but - still there was pain to deal with after this big surgery.

My feet were swollen. For several weeks.

I walked every day with a companion. The walks got longer, and faster, as time went on. My retired physical therapist brother had me doing exercises.

I hadn’t had surgery before so this was all new to me. I don’t know if this experience can be compared to other surgical recoveries. I assume there are similarities.

Eventually the post- surgery pain was gone. Which was wonderful of course.

I slept a lot. Still do some days. But, maybe that’s my 70 years of age too.

I’m getting back to normal. Granted, a new normal.

I’m eating pretty much everything now, just in smaller amounts and more frequently. It’s working well.

So, all things considered, I’m very fortunate. Others writing here have also had excellent results. There’s no reason your husband can’t be part of this group. I bet he will!

As I said earlier, if you have questions let know as I’m happy to answer with what my experience was.

Best of luck to your husband and you.

Thank you so much. This means the world to me. ❤️

Mayo / Rochester, MN here also. April 2020 after radiation & chemo to shrink the tumor. Lots of testing before hand to ensure the tumor was isolated to the esophagus. Surgery & recovery went very well I'll have to say. At the time it was a challenge but thinking back ....given the fact that this surgery is so extensive
etc. It all went rather smoothly. It's quite the lifestyle change learning how to eat again. Smaller bites, chewing ALOT, smaller portions, eating oftener and and and learning what you can and cannot tolerate and adjusting. The feeding tube I'll say was probably the biggest challenge.