My husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer about 12 weeks ago.

I did not know what was causing my esophageal cancer until I could not swallow anything but sips of water. The docs did endoscopy and found large growing tumor in lower esophagus. After first 3 chemo treatments it shrunk 40%. After 28 days of radiation and chemo it was gone and I could swallow food again. But the process was challenging and I was on a feeding tube for a while and I did not want to eat. But the really good news is that there is hope for you to beat the cancer and be healthly again. Let us know how it goes?

I ignored my swallowing problems for several months before seeking help from a GP who moved very quickly to get me to an appointment with a GI doctor which after a couple of months of scopes eventually got a diagnosis of esophageal cancer. By then it had of course spread through my throat. Radiation/Chemo was explored by a good oncologist before a consult with a thoracic surgeon suggested esophagectomy was the most promising option. It took some hard to find courage to pull the trigger on the operation but it did, so far, remove the cancer and I can now swallow fine. Digestion is another story but a manageable one. I don't appreciate food as I did prior to the cancer but I'm alive and walking my old dog in the woods every day. Also went from 240 lbs. pre-cancer to 170 lbs post surgery, just slowly drifting weight loss week after week but for my height (6 ft.) at the moment that's a plus. I was given very frank odds going into the surgery and thanks to an excellent team of people I came out the other side so there is tons of hope. Listen to your instincts, find a surgeon you can trust, check in with these groups daily and post surgery for support and friendship. Good luck if luck is what you need,

Do you have a cancer center, or somewhere, that you can take him to get IV fluids daily, if possible? I would suggest that while waiting for surgery.

My guess is that you're still near the beginning of a much longer road.

Best wishes to you and your husband.

Dave

Thank you so very much, Dave. We do have a cancer center nearby.

I am 71 and was diagnosed April 2023 and shortly thereafter I couldn’t eat or drink and I had no choice but to get a feeding tube. After radiation/chemo my large tumor at base of esophagus is cancer free. I am now getting chemo/immunotherapy for a small tumor in my liver. I’m on smart patients also. It’s such a great support group and has helped me so much. Prayers for your husband.

They should have placed a G tube already. That was done for my husband a week after his EGD for diagnosis . He didn’t even need to use it until 4th week of Rad/ chemo. If he can get on some form of nutrition until surgery, then they should place a Jejunostomy tube to give him tube feedings. Make sure they don’t neglect that. He needs the feedings of Optisource or Jevity. You both will learn how to use it and get a feeding pump through Home health . He may only need it for 4-6 weeks but it will help!
Blessings
Patti

Thank you so much, Patti. His surgery is Monday, so it looks like we ll make it without the tube but we certainly will look into it as he makes what I hear is a long hard road to recovery. Thank you again, Donna

John’s surgery is Monday. His last PET scan 6 weeks ago showed that it hadn’t spread. I certainly hope that is still the case. Thank you for your prayers, Donna

I do pray his surgery goes well. Which hospital will he have surgery? My husbands oncologist knew that we had to go to UCLA for the surgery and locally even though our city is large with many surgeons. UCLA has some of the best outcomes for this surgery. It takes two surgeons and for him total time was 11 hours. From start to finish. They gave him an epidural for pain. They kept that in for four or five days. In preparation for this surgery, they did a couple echocardiograms that led them to do one more test, which was an angiogram. They found on that that he needed a quadruple bypass. Pretty immediately. So two days later after the angiogram, he had the bypass surgery. That was approximately eight weeks prior to his esophagectomy. It only delayed him for a short time. The surgeons stayed right on track and communicated with each other. So he had the clearance for the esophagectomy which he had on September 28. He had a chest tube out of the right side of his back and he had to go home with a mini chest tube for a few days after. The drainage was still too much to take it out in the hospital. But they said that happens occasionally. Don’t be surprised. they didn’t want him to drink or eat until two weeks after the surgery. So he just started clear liquids like apple juice and Jell-O. They are going down just fine. He has a J-tube that they placed in surgery. That is keeping him fed and hydrated as he trials his new esophagus. He’s finally able to walk around the block now. He got a lot of practice doing that after his bypass surgery. But I do notice he’s a little bit more winded. It all takes time. Constipation may be an issue for a few days in the hospital. But the nurses and doctors will help him with that. The bloatedness was more uncomfortable to my husband. Walk!
My husband was in the hospital for a total of eight days and we stayed at a hotel locally one more day just to get him ready to go home. The positioning on the table in surgery sometimes causes muscular pain. during his first surgery, his left scapular area had a big knot in it. That seem to hurt more than his chest incision. But ice and massaging helped. After this current surgery, his right scapular area hurt with a big knot in it. Same thing. But opposite sides. So he had ice that the entire time in the hospital. He’s better now though.
I pray that your doctors are exceptional, and that your nurses are very knowledgeable in their care. Hang in there. Just take it one day at a time. Praying for you both.
Patti

@donnawmsbrady, just checking in. How are you and your husband doing?