4 months after Ivor Lewis

Hi,

Four months is really no time at all in terms of the recovery period for the major surgery that your husband has been through. I am a year and 9 months post surgery now and I wouldn’t say I’m fully recovered yet. But things do get better. Eating and drinking are important as they are part of the recovery process too. I can now eat pretty much anything I want, albeit in very small portions and can even enjoy the odd pint of beer, G&T or glass of wine. Eating out in restaurants, I often just order from the starters or ‘light bites’ menu or ask for a child’s portion. I get tired more quickly than I used to and have to break any chores down into manageable sessions. I now pay to have my grass and hedges cut. So yes, life is different to what it was before oesophageal cancer raised its ugly head but it’s still very much worth living and I am thankful every day to have been given the chance to stick around. As far as the burping goes, that is pretty normal. I used ‘Windeze’ capsules (available from pharmacies) which seemed to help. Best wishes, CB

All just as CB has just said. What kind of foods is your husband eating? It’s trial and error to some extent to find what suits. My husband is nearly 8 months post op and his portion sizes are a bitarger now but still small. He avoids anything with sugar til at least late morning but has some vanilla HUEL first thing for some extra calories …. it seems to work for him. The shakes etc that dietians suggest he can’t manage as they cause dumping. Does your husband leave a good long gap between a drink and solid food? It does get better but there is still the odd day when stomach ache and retching starts up ….. much less common now though.  Geraldine xx

hi brush, i was advised before treatment and op to always have a fizzy drink nearby so when i got that awful stuck feeling, burping actually helps. the shakes they offer, not found many people who get on with them, the aymes savour soups are do-able, and just under 300 calories.  it does change your whole relationship with food, from carrying sick bags where ever i went, to being fed through a tube into my small bowel pr op to get some weight on, to now actually eating and drinking, although little and by the clock, i still pinch myself. Not sure what weight is, i was unlucky that i didnt have any to lose, so finally just above 7 stone, being coeliac/gluten free brings its own challenges.  keep reaching out on here, and find out what suits for him, i was told the usual, full fat mik, cream, i just couldnt face the pureed food!!.

thinking of you both, that dumping is another level but something that is part of this crap journey, first time i had an after eight mint, boy did it tast good, but god did that bring its own awful reaction, so sugar really can be the enemy. take care and hang in there