ive just signed up as I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed as I have always been healthy. My operation was a success and just want to chat with others who have been through similar. My surgery was in March 2023. thanks
I cannot help you because you're further along the journey than me. I have oesophageal cancer near my stomach. Just had staging lap on Friday and waiting to hear from MDT meeting today about next steps.
You can help me though by sharing the ups and downs of your pre op chemo and operation. It all sounds a bit daunting and not really sure what to expect, so any guidance would be great.
It's the op as bad as it sounds?
Good luck going forward. I'm sure someone will read your story and be able to help.
luckily I didn’t and don’t need chemo nor radiation treatments as they found it quickly. It was on the junction of the gullet and upper stomach so these areas were operated on and sections as well as lymph (41) nodes were removed. Again luckily with massive relief the surgery was a success and all lymph’s were normal. My surgeon is happy and relayed the good news about two weeks after surgery. She said I had to attend appointments for five years now and I have no further treatment required.
in answer to your question re the ‘operation’. The surgical team are brilliant so I put my life in their hands. I researched my surgeon and found she is very well respected in this field and she lectures. I asked her many questions that I listed prior to our meeting which helped. Any questions were answered and none were silly as she is so person centred. I felt better when I asked how many people will be in the theatre as I didn’t want loads. She said approximately ten and listed their roles. I did worry, I just wanted it over with ASAP. I was expected for 7:30am and at 8.30 I was terrified as I was in a waiting room for 10 minutes by myself but when I joined the pre-op team they made me chat and my nerves went away and they were extremely professional.
I had surgery in January but I've had chemo pre and post surgery. I'm going to start physio in a couple of weeks to aid recovery. How are you getting on?
Hi Jojo, thanks for quick response. That sounds really good. I hope they call me later and tell me no chemo just op. Hadn't realised that was an option for some. Mine is in a similar position, T3 N1 M0.
I've got my fingers crossed now.....
Thanks again and best regards for your quick recovery.
I’m hoping one of my upper GI nurses will call me back soon as I’m hoping for a medication change. The hydra codine is so bad for constipation so I haven’t taken any for about a week, I’m just on paracetamol and I need more also I’m feeling sick a lot so. All of which are expected but I’m hoping to get some relief from changing my medications.
Was yours similar to my surgery mine was for eight hours. How are you doing now? What’s your physio for?
Yes I had an oesophagectomy where the oesophagus was removed and stomach is moved up into my chest and partly fashioned into functioning as part of the oesophagus. I'm fine now ...recovered from the surgery. I'm just getting used to balancing eating and getting enough hydration. I eat lots of small meals. I have lansoprazol every day. The constipation I'm managing by taking a probiotic. I suggest speaking to the dieticians. I had localised pain in my back so the medics gave me a lidocaine patch which helped in the early days. Did the physios show you exercises so your muscles don't become stiff?
No I’ve not seen a physio, something else to ask the nurse thanks for this. And I’m going to ask for more patches as these did help. Im hoping to be more mobile soon. Can you go about your day as you did apart from the new eating and drinking routine? I get out of breath to easily how about you?
It took me a few weeks to feel more normal but I wasn't fully functional. The effects I'm struggling with now are related to chemo and the fatigue is still pretty bad but I know it will get better over weeks. I do chores when I can. I go walking when I can. I was quite breathless after surgery but that was mainly to do with a partially collapsed lung. I think speak to your team to see if your breathlessness is something to be concerned about or not. I have also been doing breathing exercises to strengthen my lungs..I breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts and breathe out for 8 counts. I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. I participated in some of the exercise classes provided online called look better feel better. I was doing chair yoga and breath work workshops.
