Hello All
I had my Ivor Lewis on the 22nd June 2009, diagnosed on the 17th April, no one could complain about that, it started with me having hiccups and having problems swallowing after eating. My wife kept telling me to go to see the doctor’s but I wouldn’t go until thing got bad. I collapsed at work and was taken to hospital in an Ambulance. The doctor said it was probably an hiatus hernia and a endoscopy would confirm. It didn't and further tests would be needed, full body scan and pep scan, Barats Oesophagus was diagnosed small tumor 1.5 cm stage 1 suspect stage 2. Well that's in the past now. The op went well, I can remember being helped out of bed and being asked to walk on the spot which I did quite well, 40 steps taken.
The doctor was pleased with this and I told him I’d heard 10 days was the record for someone having this op and going home. I told him I’d do it in 9 days. Everything went OK until about the 5th day,
I used one of those packs used to moisten your mouth, a small sponge on a stick. As I cleaned with this I touched the back of my throat and was very sick, everyone came running to see what happened, and I could now feel the drain running from my nose to the joint. I asked if this could be removed and was told no. I believe this was the start of problems that would occur later on.
After several days I was sent to the general ward to begin my full recovery. From the start thing didn’t seam to go well. I couldn’t sleep, having very bad nightmares, felt like two steps forward and then three back. I told the doctors and nurses about this but nothing happened until 6days had passed, no swallow test had been done and I had a small leak in the joint. Some thing had entered the wound and infected my lungs and I had a fever so another op to glue and insert a stent. Antibiotics were also used. Any way I was told a swallow test would be done in 7 days. This test was negative so another would be done in a further 7 days. The Surgeon reassured me that this problem would probably be resolve by my own body’s defenses. I shouldn’t worry he was right after the second test everything OK. I was in hospital for two days short of 6 weeks. My worse memories of my stay were the nightmares and how I’d cry over anything “grown men don’t do that” or do that or so I thought. My wife son and daughter were and continue to be supportive and helpful.
I’m now on the road to recovery, I was told it would be long. It’s just over 3 months now. I’ve had some problems with stomach pains but last Tuesday was rushed into the A&E department with very severe stomach ache. Diagnosed as stomach spasm. The pain was very bad. It happened again on Friday of that week but this time they gave me some tablets to relieve these symptoms. They seam to be working OK.
I’m still sleeping in the afternoons and having a good night sleep. I went to see the doctor again this week to ask about my progress. He still does not have my discharge notes? So he can’t really do much until he has them. The one note he did have informed me that of the 47 lymph nodes removed 7 had traces of Cancer? I can’t remember ever being told of this
. I don’t see the surgeon until the 15th October.
I called the McMillan nurse to ask for any information was told not to worry this was the normal procedure with this type of op and all my notes would be available and full information given on the above date
Just as a post script about a fortnight ago I felt that well we walked round Clumber Park with the dogs round the lake is about 4 miles. We did that on the Friday, on the Monday of we went to Wentworth and that would have been about the same distance but with the add pleasure of a steep climb to Guisborough, then a long steep assent back to the car. We think some stomach problems stem from this type of exercise?
But I do feel as though I’m getting better and these are just small setbacks on the recovery road. I believe this is the road we all travel different distance for us all. I’d like to share the instructions for this route with you all. One is kindness in anthers trouble the other is courage in your own.
tonyd
