Cancer gone, but still not getting stronger

Hi, I only had surgery so I can't comment on the treatment you have mentioned. However if you have had the Ivor Lewis surgery as well as your other treatment it's still early days of recovery. You don't mention what you are eating, I was told to take more fatty foods to help me gain weight. If you have any questions please put a wee bit more detail and I'm sure you will get some answers. I am more than happy to help you if it's something that I have experience of. Kind regards Frank.

Well Zappaman, thanks for taking the time to reply. Originally I was due to have chemo followed by surgery. When the the chemo didn't  seem to shrink the tumour, they stopped that treatment & put me on a different set of chemo alongside radiotherapy. 

I have been told to eat high fat high sugar foods, plus dieticians prescribed Ensure Ensure compact & various high calorie shakes. These are not very palatable, & sometimes give me stomach ache. Generally I am eating what I feel like, but have to eat slower & sip water to help it go down.

Again last night I woke up with back pain. I think my problems are due to constipation, but after all this time I was expecting to have normal bowel movements, instead of have to use laxatives & suppositories. 

Hi, I don't know what problems chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause with regards to eating and weight loss. I know that after the surgery the information I got about foods to eat wasn't that great. I found I had to avoid sugary foods and simple carbohydrates like potatoes. You could have a look at boosting your good gut bacteria, have a look for information on the microbiome. I know that our bodies need certain vitamins and minerals to help us absorb nutrients from our food. Did  your consultant decide not to proceed with the surgery? There's plenty of supplements in the form of vitamins minerals and healthy gut bacteria available. A well known health chain who do a lot of deals like their penny sale can be helpful. Although it is worth checking with your oncologist if you can take these supplements. Hopefully someone here who has had the same treatment as you may be able to help. Kind regards Frank.

So it’s still not clear whether you had an oesophagectomy. The eating challenges after surgery are quite different to those who did not have it. 
if you are taking pain medication, these can often cause constipation.

I never found the dietitian’s advice super helpful. I found food that I could easily tolerate and even after several years stick to something of an eating routine that I have found works for me.

It sounds as if you are not too long into your recovery. It took me a couple of years to find a comfortable new normal. But here I am seven years later enjoying a pretty normal existence, COVID allowing.

Tell us more about your journey and if it is similar to mine I can share what worked for me, but bear in mind we are all different and what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all.

Thanks, I'll look into trying good bacteria for my gut. 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. The initial plan was chemo then surgery, when the first lot of chemo didn't shrink the tumour, it was decided to try a different "lot" of chemo alongside radiotherapy. With this plan there will never be any surgery. 

I think I need to note what food causes problems, & what doesn't.

Too me it seems to be taking a long time to get better, I wasn't expecting it to take years. 

So there was no surgery if I understand you correctly.

I recommend Aloe Vera pills for constipation.

They are much milder than most laxatives and one in the morning should work if you take lots of liquid.

Thanks Troc for taking the time to reply. No there has never been any surgery. I have two stents, regarding the first one, it has been about a year since it was fitted & skin has grown over it. Due to a stricture above this, a second stent was fitted, I am due to have this removed in just over a week. 

My oncologist has not recommended a oesophagectomy & quite frankly i don't fancy the idea of having several centimetres of my oesophagus removed. 

Regarding the Aloe Vera, I'll look into that. 

My wife had the surgery.

Whole thing removed in 2013 with chemo and RT and had 30 per cent of stomach removed ,and that was then pulled up ,this was the best surgeon I ever saw .

He is now retired but was quoted worldwide for his skills.

She had a lymph node recurrence in 2017 treated again with RT and Chemo.

I thought at the time it was over,doctors said there was not much hope.

But I said  what can we do what are the next steps and we kept on trying.

I scoured the internet for specialists and talked to my friend who is a top doctor at a clinic and he concurred with me about the surgeon.

My wife  can walk 7 km a day and swim 100 lengths a day.

Never ever give up.

The Aloe is called Aloe Barbadensis.

I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (at distal end/stomach entry) in May, 2018.  Chemo--  9 sessions of Taxol and Carboplatin) and radiation (28 sessions on Varian Truebeam)--  chemo and radiation all completed over 6 week period.  I was able to swallow again after about 2-3 weeks.  Now more than 2 years later, I have no cancer based on CT scans.

I do have some continuing after effects--  all tolerable...and I am very grateful...  every day is a good day.

I do have fatigue--  difficult to explain...but if I force my self to "get going and do something"..  the fatigue is put in the background...but each morning the fatigue is back again...and I have to get over it again.

Shortness of breath was quite severe for several weeks--  caused by scar tissue radiation damage to both bottoom lobes of the lung. Much improved now.

Dry mouth--  each night I wake up due to dry mouth--  sugar-free cough drops helps.

Constipation--  never a problem during treatment and afterwards, but I have been in the habit of adding one tablespoon of dextrin fiber to my bran cereal each morning for years.

Aches and pains--  tolerable without any medication.  How much is cancer treatment side effects or age--  ?  I am 86 years old.

Blood tests--  I continue to be just below normal for R, W, hemoglobin, and lymphocytes--  so immone systems is compromised.

 I  hope you do well--  as good as my condition, or better!