Hi Andi1947,

As everyone says welcome to the club no one wants to join. However as the patient's wife everyone on here has really helped me and in turn my husband,as I've been able to pas on relevant pieces of advice/info.

I didn't join in with the chat until we knew what path he was on. The op itself was text book and he made superb progress. He has had some set backs but the standard of care he has received has been outstanding to say the least. His eating is pretty good especially considering all that's happened.

Try not to read too much on google as it's often out of date and the figures involve people of all ages and conditions . NHS ones can be helpful but everyone is unique and I have to say my husband managed the FLOT well. Most on here seem to have coped with the second round pretty well too. 

My husband found drinking plenty of water helped and he took two small flasks upstairs at night. I bought some chewy ginger for sickness. Also peppermint t tea and lemon and ginger tea as well. He used a heat pad on his throat as the oxyaliplatin affected him slightly.From what we learnt everyone reacts differently and that's what makes it hard. I think we all want answers and facts but it's very complex.

I wish you all the best.

Keeping the faith 

Milly

Thank you - so good to share experiences- especially positive ones - will keep you informed of my progress xx

Hi Doug and Hilts,

Thank you for your replies. He isn't using it to be fed through so it may be easier. It is dressed. On a positive he is eating normal food just smaller portions. Had a small roast chicken dinner today and there is homemade apple and blackberry sponge with custard after he's had a rest if he feels able to have some. Fortifying whole milk with skimmed milk powder and adding sauces to meals when suitable. Today was mushroom! Anyway still not steak, pizza or four pints Hilts lol.

Keeping the faith

Milly

Hi Milly

Thats good to hear , just another point to bear in mind i was told you could also use the feed for hydration which i did as it can help with things like constipation due to the reduced oral intake , not sure if you can use it for bee  , lol ,take it easy.

Regards

Douglas

Okay, back now.

Been to town for daughter 'retail therapy' mmm seems I bankroll it (:. Dinner done, eaten and all quiet on the western front- for 10 mins !

So, indeed , welcome Andy. Although, none of us want to be here, we have all become pretty good at being here - dare I say I quite like coming these days. So through the good and bad, we all pretty much spill 'in private' LOL -I think the anonymity of it is what gives us such freedom.

Bit of an emotional Father's Day for husband today, it is the 1st one post surreal year and he is still here- yay

Anyhows- we are increasing by the day and as I have said many time - we seem to multiplying like rabbits and as common as muck (((::

I am not the victim, my husband is thus, I am the watcher. I wonder if your diagnosis process read like most of us on here. My 56 yr old husband started having  'grippy guts' March 2020. GP = standard omeprazole. Month later, no improvement whatsoever ever and around the same time, food 'clogging ' started. Endoscopy on 29th July endoscopy, official with plan August 8th, stage 2, N0, M0 1st FLOT 5th September, oesophagectomy Op, dec 16th, pathalogical staging Stage 1b, N0, M0-finished post op FLOT about 23 march.  Back at work 10th may.  A whirlwind or what i refer to as a rollercoaster that keeps on coasting!
He is officially 'disease free'  (dare I say for now!)and on the Aspirin trial.

The emotional stuff is almost worse than the physical stuff. We still look at each other and say "what just happened"!!!!. Most of the time we are okay, then out of nowhere, comes a 'moment'. 
I am afraid I have encouraged some bad behaviour in the club, when my husband was so pleased he ate a pie a few weeks post op, and is now over the moon that he can manage 4 pints!!

So please ask away on here, none of us are medics, just very expert  in the 'lived experience' LOL. 
Doug- yep, we did that too, during the post op FLOT, he felt very sick with no appetite, so shoved about a pint a day down the jej, just to keep hydrated until he felt better. Kept the wee like straw TMI LOL

Millie- that is great, in terms of his eating, that is a good load and tasty stuff too- trust me, it only gets better n better, or maybe worse and worse, in terms of having a crack at anything- I think the big thing for my husband was the return of confidence, knowing that the clogging had gone and he wasn't going to be hawking it back, you'll be quite surprised how quickly the four pints will happen.......

Keep the faith

HILTS

Hi Hilts, and all!

We have been quietly 'enjoying' chemo free time, ahead of possible radiotherapy. My husband had a PET scan a couple of weeks ago, to see how his mets on his lungs etc were. We got an ominous call yesterday (fathers day) at 5:30pm, asking us togo in to the hospital today at 9am, as the results were 'complicated'. Needless to say didn't  sleep well! 
 

After a lot of waffling, the doctor announced that my husband is in fact in full REMISSION! Cancer free! 
we just couldn't believe it, and are still in shock, albeit a very lovely kind of shock this time, it just soesnt seem possible after all these months of fearing the worst that he is clear. 
 

I am aware it might come back at some point, but for now, we are celebrating, And feeling very lucky. 
I hope that everyone here gets the same good news too, I wish you all very well and am very grateful that this forum was here when I thought we had no hope at all. It really helped. Thank you x

Hi Daisy

Wow thats fantastic to hear , you can take it easy now and best wishes for the future.

regatds

Douglas

Thank you and I hope you remain well Douglas x