Hi everyone
Just to update anyone who might be interested in my journey I finally had my operation on the 24th of September. I was surprised at how calm and relatively collected I was on the trip to the hospital!
All the necessary injections (including that interesting beast the Epidural) went without tol many problems and I went under straight away. When I came to I apparently informed everyone that I'd been watching Man City getting thrashed and was disappointed to be woken before the finish!
I cannot fault the ICU team and the very chilled atmosphere in the unit. I was dreading moving up into a general ward but once again shouldn't have been as I was ushered into a private room with views over the surrounding Cotswold hills.
Physically I was up and walking on day 1 with no dizziness issues. Pain control is paramount and I found that liquid paracetamol is my best friend in that respect, tramadol not so much!!
Starting to eat solids is a strange one, I've got a decent appetite and sense of taste but gauging how much to have is a difficult one. Presumably it's a case of trial and error!
Anyway apparently I'm doing fantastic and today (Day 7) I was even asked by the doctors if I wanted to go home!
I think I'll take a rain check on that for the moment!
Any questions please fire away 
thank you so much for this insight, if all goes to plan should be going through the same christmas/new year, depending how and when chemo/radio goes, is it always an epidural, think my surgery will be remove the oesophagus and pull the stomach up
cant wait to try normal food and put some weight back on, keep us updated on how its all going, and thank you
Great to read this as it is such a positive. The whole experience is so different from one person to another and I believe that reading stories as positive as yours can only help others going forwards.
I wish you on-going success in your recovery
Lowe'
Hello Bob
Great to hear all went well for you, thanks for updating us. One day at a time.
Take care Jennie 
