Advice please - post op depression and eating issues

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My friend had oesophagus cancer surgery two weeks ago. He is very depressed. He’s home but feels quite left to get on with it after all the Care at the hospital. He said he is depressed about the food as he is eating or trying to eat soup etc but he has a small amount and he cannot eat anymore. He said he thought it would have stated to improve. He also has a dry cough.  Is this all normal? Is there any help or support please? 

  • I can understand his frustration but honestly two weeks is a very short time in terms of recovery. I had mine 14 weeks ago and I'm still nowhere near eating a normal diet again yet.

    Please reassure him that things will get better over time but patience is key and remind him that this is most definitely a marathon and not a sprint as I was told by many others 

    Yours

    Anthony 

  • Believe me, two weeks is the blink of an eye in terms of the recovery period for the major surgery that your friend has had. They talk in terms of months and years, NOT days and weeks. I am 9 months post surgery and would say that I am only about 70% recovered. Setting short term goals is key. Mine were things like walking to the end of the street and back, eating a whole yoghurt as a meal. Even those took longer than two weeks to achieve. Tell your friend that they’ll just have to patient. Things will get better but it won’t be tomorrow or the next day. As Bob says, it’s a marathon not a sprint. 

  • Oh and the cough is normal too. I had one for about 6 weeks after surgery. Very annoying but it did go eventually 

  • Glad to hear your friend has got through the surgery and quite quickly too by the sound of it. The return to a 'new normal' in terms of eating is a pretty slow process and patience is the key. Much more important to get fit and concentrate on the fact that he is very lucky indeed to have been able to take the surgical route. He is almost bound to cough for some time as they collapsed one of his lungs to reach the tumour site.  His contact nurse should be able to help if he has any concerns as the hospital will be monitoring him for many months to come. I wish him all the best.