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My husband had esophageal cancer and just had his surgery on 12/3/08. He's getting the dry heaves occasionally and I wondered if anyone else has this problem. He also has no appetite and I wondered how long this lasts.
Exercise Cancer Surgery Esophageal cancer Tube feeding Depression
What kind of surgery did your husband have?
Mine, Mark, had a radical modified neck section, meaning they took lymph nodes, a big neck muscle and beat the crap out of the nerve but left it in place.
Recovery took a while, because he also had a pan-endoscopy that removed some tonsil tissue. That made swallowing, eating, and appetite an issue. This lasted until chemo/radiation made it all a moot point. We didn't get a lot of sympathy or help from our surgeon for these issues - you might be luckier. If your husband had the nerve removed or just traumatized, get him to PT post haste! We didn't realize that Mark's shoulder was paralyzed and that he was atrophying, but with work he'll get this function back. But it will be easier if you get him in to PT soon if you have this issue. I'd say that was our biggest mistake so far.
What's next for your husband? We had chemo and radiation simultaneously - aggressive but hopefully effective. Let me know if I can answer questions about our experience - everyone is different and I won't bombard you with stuff.
Good luck and blessings,
kml
My husband had esophageal cancer, so they loosened the stomach, cut the vegas nerve and then from the back took out the esophagus and cut the bottom 1/3 and about 1/4 of the stomach and reconnected it. They had to break a rib and collapse a lung in order to get to all of it. He had chemo and radiation at the same time before surgery. Now he has no appetite but I know there are shakes and things like that but he still doesn't want it. He was at 174 and now 139 at 6 foot tall.
Good luck and sorry this is such a bad disease.
Hi mozn,
Yes, my husband suffers from the same symptoms after esophagectomy (Ivor Lewis). His appetite is getting better, he also has the j-tube, though, for night feedings. He has has a lot of phlegm, which makes him cough, then vomit, daily. He lost 62 lbs. in 2 months.
He did have a lot of complications, though and others who have had this surgery say things get better with time.
He sleeps reclined in a chair and is comfortable.
Maybe your husband should force himself to eat just a LITTLE at a time?
Just a little bit may do very well.......
My thoughts are with you both
Hello Mozn;
My husband had Esphageal cancer since Oct 9, 2008, had chemo, then suurgery, they took out 21 lymph nodes, and part of his esphagus, they pulled the bottom up to his stomach, that was in March 16, 2009. My husband has been getting the dry hives, nausea, vomiting, not eating, loosing weight every week, no appetite at all, he has been havingthe dry hives since he had surgery, everyday, also bring up alot of muscus everyday, thats a big problem with him.I wish i knew when this is all going to stop, but unfortunally dr said it might keep contiueing until who knows when, the only thing dr gives him is Companizine,that helps sometimes. I'm sorry i can not give you much of a answer but my husband is going threw the same thing. i wish i had the answers for it myself. Well hope he feels better,
GOD BLESS
Tigerette
Tigerette,
My husband, Paul, went through all of that. When he started to bring up bile, the surgeon sent him for an upper GI and they found that he had a narrowing where they attached the esophagus to the stomach. When the gastroenterologist when down to "stretch" it, he found that Paul had a terribel yeast infection and put him on diflican for 21 days, which also altered his taste. Believe it or not, he started to get better. He went from 192 to 115 lbs. but is now at 122. This is a very long process...very long but it takes a lot of patience. His strength is MUCH better because he's started to walk and lift things and just 3 weeks ago, since last summer, is now able to run the lawn mower on #3 like he used to do. Don't get me wrong, he still occasionally gets the heaves, but we think it's because he'll eat something and then goes to bed only 2 hrs. later. It's so funny because now he'll go to bed and starts thinking of food. He NEVER cooked, and now he's cooking what he thinks he wants to eat and it's nothing that I would ever cook! haha. His taste is just now coming around but he's not gaining much. Little at a time. He sucks on hard candy all the time...root beer barrels, butterscotch..OMG..lots of it. We can take care of the teeth later! Radiation did a number on them anyway. It's tough, but you have to be tougher because I found out that "I'm the cause of anything that goes wrong!" but I ignore it and just go on. Later he'll realize what he said and make a dinner with candles etc. I'm still working and he retired but then found out that he had cancer. We went through chemo, radiation everyday for 36 days straight and then surgery, then the yeast infection but it's all getting better now a little at a time. He even stopped having what we called his "meltdowns". Hot, hot flashes and burning up. Kept the popcycles around alot. Good luck and hopefully neither one of you will give up...but it takes a lot of patience and time.
God Bless you both.
Moznjack
Hello Monzjack.
I can see that it has been about 11 months since your husband's surgery. And the challenges continue. I am bracing myself for what is to come, if that is possible. My Bob was diagnosed with EG in Aug., and is mid-way through his 6 wk. chemo/rad.
treatment. Then surgery in Jan. (It was to be Dec. but our only child is getting married in Dec; a bright spot).His surgery will be a resection, like your husband's, and I must say that I am VERY apprehensive. He is already so weak from his treatment, and the fever/chills he has had nightly for a wk.I can barely imagine that shape he will be in by the end of his pre-surgery treatment, which ends with a second week-long inpatient chemo blitz. I wish with all my heart that I could me this go away. We have been married 39 years and this is breaking my heart, although I am all smiles for him.
I have no idea how to schedule obligations in the new year, after surgery.You said that you work.How long did you stay home to care for your husband? Did you take the year off? Any words of wisdom for one who is walking your path?
I hope that this finds you two in a good place today.
Hugs, Nan
Hi Nan!
After being diagnosed with stage2b to 3a cancer on July 22 2008, Paul is still having a few difficulties. This has aged him considerably, BUT Thurs. night, he called me into the bathroom while he weighed himself....HORRAY!...he's now at a whopping 126 lbs.
16,000 people get this cancer a year and 14,000 die. He almost died of starvation, but you have to help him find something that he likes to eat. Did they put a feeding tube in him yet? He has to have one. Buy Ensure and make sure he drinks one every day and more if possible. Tell him not to worry about gaining, because he'll lose it. Paul went from 192 to 115 and we both thought he'd die of malnutrition. He looked at himself in the mirror after getting out of the shower one day after his surgery and he had to vomit. Paul got very weak and feverish one daya so the oncologist then sent him to the hospital because he had no white blood count and plateletts and was there for a week which is when they started tube feeding him. That was in Sept. 2008 then after his last radiation, he got weaker but then for Thanksgiving, he was healthier and stronger. Only in time for his surgery which knocked him down again really bad. Your husband needs to stay strong, exercise now to stay stong and make himself have a goal to walk in front of the house every day...then a little further each time. Paul got depressed, so I drove him to Mich. for a short weekend trip. That was this Aug. Then camping now Monday he's flying to Dallas to be with my son. BUT he feels STRONGER and he's thinking about food again. It's a long, recovery but you and he cannot give up!!! You have to get him through this.
I work for UPS. I saved a lot of my vacation but took some FMLA too. I didn't take a whole year off. I took time off when I felt I HAD to. If he had a really bad night or when I took him to the dr. I'm lucky to be able to do that but I realize not everyone can. Maybe family members can help...or home health might come for an hour or so. From the time of his surgery to when I thought I could go back to work on a somewhat reg. basis, I would say it was a month. I went in for just a few hours some days.
Good luck and keep me posted. My prayers are with you and Bob. Patience, exercise, and eat anything, (Paul wanted fruit!...canned pears, peaches things that are soft and small bites) Now, he's eating sharp cheddar cheese, soup is a staple too and at first, he hated salty things so it was low sodium soup.
Again, if there is ANYTHING I can help you with, don't be afraid to ask!
Hugs and prayers!
Moneta
Hi Moneta,
Thanks Moneta for the insight. Bob is 6'2" and weighs 192. He is down about 15 lbs since he began therapy (chemo/radia) one month ago. He is having a heck of a time swallowing. However, he is frantically adverse to a feeding tube until his surgery in January. He was told that the tube before surgery will be in his nose; afterward, will extend from his abdomen. He does not want a tube in his nose.
Bob is drinking at least one Ensure a day, even though he doesn't like them. He can usually get some things down, but something got stuck at lunch, and must have created irritation, because his esoph. must be especially swollen tonight, he couldn't even drink the smootie that I made him tonight.
His greatest challenge is that so much of what he attempts to eat gets stuck. When that happens it is very painful, and frightening. This happens with even the smoothest of foods. We are praying that
the radiation created irritation and additional swelling of the tumor, and that this will subside, allowing him to eat unaided. Did Paul experience this before or after surgery?
How long was he on a feeding tube after surgery?
Thank you for your time.
Hugs, Nan
Hi Nan,
I don't blame him for not wanting the nose tube rather than a J-tube. Paul didn't have any problems swallowing after surgery. He did however have a problem swallowing during his chemo and radiation treatments which was before surgery. He absolutely needed the J-tube feeding. We found out about the cancer on 7/22/09, chemo and radiation 8/20/09 and was hospitalized on 9/18/09 which is when then started tube feeding. He continued through May I think...this year. He had a yeast infection in his esophagus and he had to take meds for that but he's getting much better and stronger now. Again...it takes a very long time. Depression will start after surgery so be very careful. They can give him something for it but just walk away instead of arguing. I hope all goes well. I am going to visit my mother in Idaho and won't be back until the 24th of Nov.
Take care and ask anytime.
Hugs,
Moneta
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