Surviving Oesophageal Cancer

Hi Ben
I’m glad to hear that you had another endoscopy and that the doctors can help alleviate this problem. It would definitely be best if you sleep through the procedure as I’m sure you’ll need to be very relaxed for the dilation or reaming. I’ve not heard that warfarin can affect tastebuds, but I do know that it can cause nausea. Perhaps the strange taste you’ve been having is still the after effects of the chemo. Anyway, the main thing is that it’s going to be sorted and that at the moment you’re enjoying food and drink again. I’ll be thinking of you on Friday so let me know how you get on. Hope you’re not overdoing the physio. I’m still amazed that you can work-out so soon Lol.
Take good care
Love Crystal xx

Hi Crystal,

Had the endoscopy/dilitation this afternoon and oesophageal stricture is now 15mm (it was only 5mm due to the healing scar tissue around the join - which was a very neat job) . May have to have another one in the future but it went well and I don't remember a thing and slept for an hour - there was no way he would let me watch this time. A couple of days on puree foods and then back to "normal" diet.

The physio session was nothing strenuous as I have had severe back and rib pains which I know is not uncommon and she gently pressed on the scar on my back to encourage reaction and it worked! Evidently with this type of extensive surgery where muscles and nerves take a fair hammering it helps to just lightly stimulate the nerve areas to get them off the offensive. Have another appointment next week so will update again later.

Looking forward to a decent feed on sunday and then can get back to haymaking.
Cheers Ben.

Hi Ben
I’m very glad to hear that the dilation worked so well, now you’ll be able to spend the entire weekend catching up on your eating and haymaking Lol. Do you have trouble eating certain things? I know I did for a long time.

Thanks for the tip about stimulating the nerve endings under the scar tissue, I’ve not heard of that before. My scar doesn’t look at all bad now but it is still very sensitive two years on so I’ll give that a try.

Hope all is well with you.
Keep in touch
Love Crystal xx

Hi there Crystal,

Nick is doing quite well. The new GP at our surgery has been very helpful and has altered Nicks medication which is working well now. On top of this we have been on the diet and it is working well ... Nick is managing to eat more and is keep his blood results well within the normal limits. At the moment he has some 'twinges' of pain around the scar tissue but internally. Even took him shopping in Asda (10pm) and he enjoyed it!!!
I am on catchup ... trying to get back into the routine of marking books, planning lessons, parents evenings and national science week! Most of my students have been asking after Nick and want to do some fund raising for cancer , bless them. Juggling work, Nick and Nick's businesses is the order of the day and at the moment 'all the balls are in the air' as they say.

Keep smiling
Jane & Nick

Hi Ben

Congrats on living in the place I call home. Queenie, central otago, thats the place for me. I have close friends in Kirwee, Selwyn district near Christchurch and in Auckland ... but south island is the best. My students have to put up with allblacks rugby in my lab. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Will be sending daughters home this year as Nick cannot travel that far yet ... otherwise we could have met up. Keep smiling ... it causes less wrinkles than frowning.

Jane & Nick

Hi Jane
It sounds as though you have your hands full with work and business commitments as well as coping with Nick’s recuperation. How nice that your students want to raise funds for cancer, have they come up with some good ideas? Nick seems to be recovering really well and I’m glad his diet is helping. Have his breathing and painful ribs improved yet? It’s only been six weeks since his surgery so if he’s going shopping around Asda I would say he’s doing great. And if he actually enjoyed it, then he’s quite a unique bloke too LOL.

Are you from New Zealand Jane? It’s a bit of a coincidence if you are, as we have Ben here too.
Take care. Send my best regards to Nick and keep in touch.
Love Crystal xx
Hi to Ben and anyone else looking in. Have as good a day as it’s possible to have.
Xx

Hi Crystal,

Have had my brother vsiting me for thelast week and pleased to say this is the best I have felt since the op. Eating just about anything and only one incident since the ream out -- and there's more! have had the biopsy result back from when he did the reamer and it's all clear yea!! So it's full steam ahead and damn the torpedoes from here on. N0 physio this week as have been too busy but booked again for next week.
Cheers Ben.

Hi Jane and Nick,
Great to hear from another Kiwi. Don't know details of Nick but from Crystal's comments if he is only 6 weeks out from the op he's going great guns. I'm 3 months out and now in that great visionary area of hindsight I was a bit impatient and had expectations beyond my physical ability and drove the love of my life to distraction. Sounds as though Nick may be of the same ilk and if you can put up with his stoicism it probably won't do him any harm providing he doesn't overdo things - and you will soon know if he does.
I found that if I did repetitive things with my arms (like trying to trim the hedge) I suffered like hell for the next few days It's difficult for us men to NOT do things! and we are reluctant to take advice from those who know us best.
Enough of that.
We are less than 3 hrs from Queenstown and used to live in Lawrence (only 2 hrs) so we often grab a cheap internet booking at one of the posh hotels and spend a night or two and pretend we are tourists.
We lived in Christchurch for 25 years and Auckland (Forrest hill Takapuna) before that and Timaru is my home town.
My partner and I have been to the states a few times and love it there. What area do you reside in.
Do keep in touch if you do head over our way.
All the best. Ben.

Hi Ben
It ‘s good to see you here again as sometimes I get a bit jumpy when my friends online don’t post, because I know some days there can be setbacks. However, you seem to be as chirppy and bright as ever and doing so well, so I’m very pleased for you. Does your partner get impatient with your impatience? Sometimes I used to push myself too far too soon, then Nicu had a hard time trying to keep me occupied – when you’re normally fit and active it’s hard just to sit around isn’t it? It’s great news too that you can now eat anything at all, so you’ll soon be piling on the pounds. Even better news is the biopsy result! You’re all shipshape by the sound of you. Where do you travel when you visit the states?
Anyway, hope you’re very well today and making hay.
Love Crystal

Hi to Jane and Nick and to Mick, and everyone, how’re ya’ll doing? Hope all is well.
xx

Hi Crystal,

After spouting off how clever I have been I had another episode of losing my lunch but only the once so far.
Yes Sharon does get a tad terse with me on frequent occasions for överdoing things" but not sure what the answer is!
I spent the afternoon babysitting our no. 9 grandson (who is 3 yrs old tomorrow) which wore me out big time.

Visiting the states is not an option to us now unfortunately as the risk of medical treatment would most likely bankrupt us! but we have had a good look around and have been to LA. NY. Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Lincoln, Nebraska, Chatanooga, Blue Mountains, Rochester Denver, Aspen, North Platte, San Fran, Seattle ,San Deigo. Never made it to Las Vegas!
Our holiday destination now is the Gold Coast of Australia and we hope to have a break there in our winter (about june/july) as temperature is much milder there.
Take care.
Ben.

Hi Ben
I hope this message finds you very well today and you’ve got over the bout of sickness. Do you generally feel ok after eating?

It seems you don’t really need physio if you have 9 grandchildren to look after, as they can wear you out big time LOL. I imagine Sharon has her hands full when the children visit, and with your recovery. Sometimes it’s harder for the carers as they have to go through all this with us and sometimes feel out of control and helpless watching us being so ill. Having said that, my husband was absolutely fantastic and handled it all in a very calm, gentle and practical way which gave me much-need confidence at that time. I’m sure Sharon has been your tower of strength too.

You’ve certainly seen some great places in the US. It was always our intention one day to visit Montana, San Francisco and Las Vegas, but like you, for health reasons it’s not a good idea and I don’t think my health at present is up to the long flight. My sister lives in Miami and I have an aunt on the opposite coast in Naples and friends in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Boca Raton, so Nicu and I have toured most of Florida including the Keys. It’s very beautiful, but apart from the beaches and everglades, its beauty is manicured and cosmetic if you know what I mean. We tend more towards wild and natural landscapes. It is lovely though. And, you can’t fault the Americans for their fabulous hospitality, friendliness and cheerfulness can you?

Anyway, I’m rabbiting. I hope you have a lovely day, actually it’s evening there right now isn’t it.
Take good care
Crystal xx

Hi to All - hope your day is as good as it can be. xx