osophagus cancer diagnosis

Hi,

I have recently been diagnosed with oesophagus cancer stage 3 and have come across this forum while googling, since the middle of September, I have had a plethora of tests and have been very well treated by the hospital staff, I’m starting my FLOT treatment in 9 days’ time a regime of 4 rounds 2 weeks apart then hopefully followed by surgery and then another FLOT regime.

  • Yay BFG, you are back x

    My husband is going to be well peeved  about your fluid achievement.LOL.

    He still has the pesky cough, he knows why, and knows what to do, ( smaller meals, more fluid), like he needs an excuse to drink more fluid!!! He said to me the other day. " well , drinking more fluid will defo make it better, but I can't possibly drink  loads of fluid in one go" I nearly choked on my tea. No problem drinking 4 PINTS in one go eh.  He was claiming that it was the beer that was making the cough better- I didn't have the heart to say, nope ANY 4 pints of fluid will do the job. LOL. I make him sound like a real boozer .

    Nice one for you wife to be clear (:
    Andi, the post op chemo is pretty much the same as the first, but a few more intense side effects, nothing that can't be managed though. I think the 'problem' is that by that time you've all had just about enough of all the treatment, it might 'only' be 8 weeks, but that is on the back of at least 7 months before that and 'fed up to the back teeth' is a pretty intense side effect. 
    As for the hair folks, yep, mine finished chemo on 23 rd March, all started coming back grey and fluffy, but as with this whole affair, little by little it got longer and darker. 1st haircut very early June and since then all the black is back and curls, only then'distinguished' grey like before, so again, does all recover , eventually. The chemo pasty colour only went completely when he showed it some serious rays, I look at pictures from feb and now and he really is back to his usual,looking self.

    Anyway all. Keep the faith

    Hilts

  • Hi Hilts

    Thanks for that - I've always had straight blond hair - would be novel to have dark curly locks

    Yes - just endless appointments - 3 so far next week - and one the following week. Went for CPX test today but computer had broken - seems to go on for ever.  So good to hear all the positive comments on here - I WILL get through it - just a long way still to go!! 
     

    Andi xx

  • Hi again Hilts

    i'm sort of preparing for surgery - can anyone give me any idea of what I will initially be able to eat when I get home from hospital - what I need to get in??

    Thank you all

    Andi xx

  • Hi Andi

    Your post-op team should be able to get you to the level of what they call "minced and moist".

    If you search for "minced and moist diet" then you should be able to find a wealth of information from various medical institutions. 

    Get back if you don't find anything and I'll see how my cut and paste skills are going. 

    Cheers

    Bfg

  • Hi andi47, 

    eating , trust me - treats await you....

    As BFG knows, the first delicious ' meal' is usually ' minced chicken & gravy' reformed it think it is called. This is day 2 /3 post op usually .  Coffee/tea comes on day 1/2. Yes I am being a little tongue in cheek (:. He was so happy to get this ' treat' , as it really denoted, job done, eating begins again (:Mine was discharged day 8 post op, which was xmas eve, he had a full xmas dinner all mashed with lashings of gravy, then Boxing Day - guess?? Turkey curry of course- blended (:

    TBH- if all is well, it moves on pretty quickly. as BFG said minced , mashed and moist to start.By week 6 , mine was on pie n mash with lashings of gravy, by 8 or before a full 'curry', steak chips, etc. By the time he started his post op chemo he was back on full 'normal' diet including beer (: Appetite dropped during post op chemo.

    He finished that in March, and once those taste buds had recovered, back to full fat food.

     

    All are 'fed' post op through something called a Jejuneostomy. Small tube that goes into the small bowel, put in during surgery, with delicious feeds.  So hunger is not really a problem. Guess what though, that also ends, after about 6 weeks..

    we never bothered will anything special, just the food I was doing for the household, mashed / chopped with a fork, knife, or blitz in the blended for tougher things like turkey, pigs in blankets etc.

    The things to 'get in' are things you like, several on here have enjoyed trifles, cream, etc, but honestly , anything that takes your fancy, adapted(:

    Stangely, looking back, it seems eons ago, and in the bigger scheme of things is a fraction in time. Not at the time of course (:

    you will be done at some point, once you are out of the 'twilight zone' you'll be on the steak and chips with your blond locks blowing in the wind before you know it.

    Keep the faith - you WILL get there

    Hilts.

     

  • Thank you Hilts - I will look forward to some normality and try not to dwell on the 'in between' stage - as you say - it is only a short time - not sure about the blond locks though xx

  • (:

    Hey, it is very much okay to dwell, cry, shout, scream, give the pillows a thrashing etc. It is a really tough , surreal thing to go through and us humans are prone to pretty spectacular emotions. All part of the tapestry of life (: it is also very much okay to laugh out loud- we did , usually at the most inappropriate things (: and it is defo okay NOT to be okay ((::

    Always ( trying ) to keep the faith

    Hilts

     

  • Hi Andi,

    The previous posts have given you some good pointers. My husband is eating normal food, he came home a bit further down the line from the op but I've been pretty amazed at the variety of food he eats. Smaller portions but before the latest chemo over half a normal portion and our portions tend to be on the larger side lol. Trifle, milkshakes and cream cakes are a good boost. I also put skimmed milk in the whole milk (as advised by dietician) for extra calories. He also had forty sips but to be honest it just depends. He has fruit and veg too and finds tinned fruit easy if he's feeling a bit full.He has also eaten steak pie, fish and chips, roast beef dinner etc. He decided to wait until the end of treatment before trying the alcohol. 

    Dieticians will give you a sheet and are very helpful. Your team will ensure you have all the info you need. 

    Hope you get your fitness test done soon

    Keeping the faith

    Milly

     

  • Thank you Milly - sounds as if your hubby is doing really well - fingers crossed I do as well. The operation and more chemo are a bit daunting - but I just have to focus on 2022

    Andi xx