Hi guys. Sending love to you all. We have just lost my mum to this cancer after only 6 months post surgery. My advice push for the chemo after and push for all the scans you can get after too. If this had been possible for mum then she might still be here. Xx

hi,

it,s sad to hear about your loss especially after your mum going through the operation i know its difficult to accept your loss especially when you read posts like mine telling others it will all be fine , god bless you and take care of yourslef and your family.

Hi  Andi 

my line was never a major problem either, i got large clear waterproof dressings from the nurse which were great for showering , the only nuisance was the brown waxy stuff that stuck to any body hair around the wound and the stitches , mine eventually fell out completely in the shower one morning but i was assured it would close up within a few hours which gladly it did , using it was more a nuisance than anything else , take it easy.

regards 

Douglas

Hi Douglas 

I agree - it's just a nuisance - I now 'plug-in' when I go to bed -I was doing it during the evening. Will be very glad when it's out!!

Andi xx

Hi Leechap 

sorry to hear your journey has taken you down a more difficult road and i hope the palliative treatments provide your dad with good results , surprisingly i bumped into a fellow patient last week with who i shared a ward with in hospital and has been getting ltreated for liver cancer for over 2 years and he is still receiving treatment as we speak , anyway take care.

Regatds

Douglas 

Thanks Douglas, any true positive stories are a real help at the moment. We'll keep fighting as we have from day 1.

Lee

Hey Andi, hope you're doing OK.

You will get there and be out socialising again ... I've had a total gastrectomy and was out for a family meal in a restaurant in Brighton for my sons 18th birthday at the end of December - and split a prawn cocktail with my Wife for a starter, and ate half a main that was a big plate of chicken arrabiatta pasta (got the other half doggy boxed and took home for later) with a bottle of cola on the side.

Keep going, stay positive, you're doing great by the sound of it.

Hi Redski

Thank you for the encouragement - can eat so little at the moment!!  Still have a very annoying cough!!  I think the dull grey days don't help.   Have just been told that my prolonged hospital stay makes it too late to have post op chemo - so treatment over. 
 

Really happy to hear you are doing so well

Andi xx

Don't stress or worry too much about it, I'm still getting used to the new eating regime too ... and the amount you can eat gets better with time. 
I still struggle with some stuff too ! ... my eyes are obviously bigger than my non existent stomach - so I have to remember to eat slow, chew loads and not eat more than half a usual portion and come back to the rest 20-30 mins later.

Some stuff goes down really well like creamy pastas ... think carbonaras etc work well with me and creamy curry's like Tikka Masala by Charlie Bingham on the supermarket shelves.

Other stuff can randomly cause me discomfort / getting sick with the food not sitting right or perhaps I've eaten it too quickly !

Well done for finishing treatment and getting out of hospital in time for Xmas - was so happy for you to hear that in your update.

Keep going, stay positive !

Hi y'all, 

I am really only trying to come once a week now!!!! Not because I don't'love y'all' anymore, but 2-3 times a day !!! Need to find a 'hobby'(:

Lee- what can I say absolutely keep fighting, but also LIVING, get out there and live it up. I know I tend to be a bit 'over positive' LOL. Do remember that palliative does NOT mean check out time- it means treating a chronic condition when symptoms play up. There are a few around on here that have been palliative with OC , one for at least 8 years and another who was deemed palliative, become disease free after a load of chemo and immunotherapy- so get living xxx

As for me 'dreading' New Year's Eve-  , not really anymore- I kinda expect those expected events on that date!!! LOL. At least I can 'plan' - what else can you do eh!

Welcome  also to two newbies- Tracy and Tipo. The ever expanding oesophageal cancer club x None of us medics on here , just experts in the lived experience of 'living the dream' ask away. Tracy- my husband was diagnosed originally with the same as yours. Ask away- nothing 'off'limits (:

Tipo- you are also pretty much the same as us. My husband 'bless him' , a year post op still doesn't quite get the concept of 'little and often' .Looks like you may only have the post op chemo to do then?
 

Keep keeping that faith my fellow rollercoaster riders

Hilts

Hi all - nice to hear those words of encouragement Hilts, whenever I read a msg like that, it does definitely give us an upbeat feeling (which is greatly needed at the present time).

Tipo - welcome to the forum and walking 2 miles a day is a very good achievement.

Andi-keep practicing that walk to the departure gate!

Redski- nice to hear you're out having a nice family meal...nice choice of pasta

Lee

Hi everyone. Sorry for highjacking the thread but its active and I've read many of your stories and see you're all such a supportive bunch I thought it might be worth reaching out. My dad was diagnosed stage 3 summer 2021 and had flot chemo followed by surgery in October 2021. He's now well into his recovery from surgery but is very tired and sick and still finding it hard to eat anything. He's also been unfortunate to suffer from a deep vein thrombosis in his leg which is really painful and is adding to his discomfort. He is due to start post operative radiotherapy this week but my mum is very worried because he is still so uncomfortable and sick and she fears he's just not up to the radiotherapy and sees him "wasting away" in front of her eyes. He sleeps so much, and whenever I go to visit, he sits with me for a few minutes and then goes back to bed because he feels sick and doesn't like wretching in front of anyone. The oncologist and surgeon are pleased with his progress and surgery outcome, and have offered the radiotherapy to be on the safe side as they didn't find any spread into lymph nodes. What I'm hoping for is any advice or stories about people's experience after surgery so I can tell my mum and dad that what they are going through is all part of it, and that you can come out of it the other side. I've read here about people going on holiday etc and try keep telling them these stories to keep them positive. 

Hi everyone. Sorry for highjacking the thread but its active and I've read many of your stories and see you're all such a supportive bunch I thought it might be worth reaching out. My dad was diagnosed stage 3 summer 2021 and had flot chemo followed by surgery in October 2021. He's now well into his recovery from surgery but is very tired and sick and still finding it hard to eat anything. He's also been unfortunate to suffer from a deep vein thrombosis in his leg which is really painful and is adding to his discomfort. He is due to start post operative radiotherapy this week but my mum is very worried because he is still so uncomfortable and sick and she fears he's just not up to the radiotherapy and sees him "wasting away" in front of her eyes. He sleeps so much, and whenever I go to visit, he sits with me for a few minutes and then goes back to bed because he feels sick and doesn't like wretching in front of anyone. The oncologist and surgeon are pleased with his progress and surgery outcome, and have offered the radiotherapy to be on the safe side as they didn't find any spread into lymph nodes. What I'm hoping for is any advice or stories about people's experience after surgery so I can tell my mum and dad that what they are going through is all part of it, and that you can come out of it the other side. I've read here about people going on holiday etc and try keep telling them these stories to keep them positive.