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

As Cool Blue has already stated it is still very early stages. I am now 3.5 years post op and it took a while to understand what worked for me. Luckily I did not suffer the burping but the dumping was far from pleasant. Through a bit a trial and error a worked out what foods were easiest for me to deal with. Over time this got better and I am now at the stage where I can pretty much eat what I want albeit in smaller portions.

I still take care to not eat too late so that the food is digested before I go to bed and I stil prop myself up a little when I lay down but apart from that I am back to normal. I must admit that I soon got bored of the variopus protein drinks/supplements after so many months of being on a liquid diet both pre and post op. 

I can't say that I enjoy eating now as I still get indigestion regularly but it is no more than that and it soon passes. And I was never much of a foodie so I don't miss eating nice meals - they are wasted on me these days! Especially when I travel to the US for work and I am lucky if I get through a third of the plate of food that they serve up there! .

All I can suggest is to be patient - it will get better over time. Everyone is different in terms of how they respond so it is just a case of working out what works best for your husband.

I hope that he starts to fell better soon.

Hi,

It sounds like your husband has developed anxiety around food and drink based on one or two episodes. 

I'm 2 months post surgery and being a stubborn old fool, I'm eating and drinking whatever I want. Probably not the best approach but I simply refuse to eat 6 to 8 small meals a day as advised and I'm currently eating normal meals with success. Portion sizes are smaller but I used to over eat anyway.

One piece of toast instead of two.

I chew everything down to a puree before swallowing, which, on the plus side, allows me to appreciate textures and flavours much more.

I only drink water with my food. Fizzy drinks just causes burping. 

Sugar should be not necessarily avoided but certainly lessened. I always have sweetner in my beverages. Sugar just causes dumping with stomach cramps and diarrhea. 

I'm pretty sure spicy foods causes acid reflux so taking antacids is advised. I'm on Lanzoprazole, although I forget to take it most days. 

I may be lucky, I don't know, but I'm sure your husband will find a way of eating and drinking that he will be comfortable with. 

We're all different and there is no 'one' solution that suits everyone.

Thank you for your help all you have said is very true, it is still very early days and I think he is expecting to much to soon but it goes on deaf ears  I read all of the advice to him and he does listen . 

Thank you it so nice to get amazing feedback and support from people going through this journey and making it possible to share it with others who are struggling x

I agree with this totally anxiety is the cause of it I’m sure and have told this, he easily gives up and becomes “what’s the point” of trying to eat, go out etc and with Xmas day looming I can tell he’s dreading it! Everything you have said is true and I will read it to him as he does listen to feedback on here x have a merry Christmas x