Complications after surgery

SandyR62

My bother just has his esophagus removed, its been 17 days ago and he can barely talk, he isn't in pain to talk but just very hoarse.. has anyone else had this problem. He has tried to eat without a lot of sucess... He has a test before he was released from the hospital and they told us nothing was wrong.. Everything looked fine.. and . I have to wonder how he can go one day taking insulin shots 4 times a day to been sent home with none.. He never had a sugar problem at all before the surgery... so much going on... I worry so much for him...

By the way, His name is Earl, he is 52. He is a non smoker, non drinker. He had stage 3 cancer when it was found...

Unknown

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Donna70

Sandy vocal cord paralysis
Hi Sandy,
I had three incisions and have had permanent damage to my left vocal cord. That causes a funny voice and think in some people hoarseness. He has a long road to go yet, this is so soon after surgery, he may get his voice back but it is not unusual for people like William said to have damaged vocal cords. Now I am doing great and have just been referred to an ENT who may be able to fix my voice or get a better one than I have now. The vocal cord problems also can cause problems with shortness of breath. So that may be remedied for your brother also. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers and hope that the sugar problem levels out. take care,
Donna70

SandyR62

unknown said:

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Earl's long jouney
While I don't know all the big words the doctors use, Earl was over weight - he went to the doctors a few years back, maybe 5 years ago and they told him gave hime medicine for heart burn and indigestion. He didn't go to the best of doctors for care... it must have started then.

William Messerschmidt & Thomas Greene was his surgery doctors. They are the only doctors in this area that does this surgery... Earl was told the incisions would be about 2 inches long and they were 8 inches down his neck and his belly one was even longer.
They had a hard time getting him off the ventilator. The removed it in the recovery room and had to put him back on it... Then the removed it in the icu unit and had to put it back in twice there so I wonder if they did damage there. He sounds like a person that inhaled heliem from a balloon..

Earl Had several test that began in February... started with blood work, stress test, exrays, ct scans, he had the pep scan, the endoscopy test -(another one but I can't remember what it is called) where they do the brain . it was about April that found the cancer. It was too large to remove - SO He did 30 radation (every day) treatments and 6 chemo treatments(1 a week) (I don't know what meds were in the chemo) Then they did the balloon test to see if his heart was ok to go the surgury around the 1st of July - which he passed in flying colors.. so he had his surgury 29th...

He was not a diabetic at all before - he was walking on a daily basis and suddenly found he was out of breath when walking - at that time he knew something was going on. He was pale looking - and felt dizzy at times so he went for help then... They put him on iron because his blood was so low... which he did have leg cramps for years and now he hasn't had one since!

After his radation, he did well. He did have his feeding tube inserted in case he needed it but he was his doctors 1st case of a patient that could eat the entire treatment. He actually could eat better than before. He was able to eat things he hadn't eaten in 2 or 3 years. He lost a little weight and they also put him on the feeding machine.

Earl is short of breath, they once said he would have to go home on oxygen but once out the door that was out the window... he is trying so hard, he is walking, doing his breathing exercises and isn't doing very good with eating... he tried solid foods but is staying with liquids... I feel so bad for him. Its been so hard just for me, I can't imagine how it is for him...

My mom thinks speech theorpy will help him with his voice... I came over here before his surgery and read many post from here... its a blessing to have someplace you can go to for help from people that has been down this long path...

SandyR62

Donna70 said:

Sandy vocal cord paralysis
Hi Sandy,
I had three incisions and have had permanent damage to my left vocal cord. That causes a funny voice and think in some people hoarseness. He has a long road to go yet, this is so soon after surgery, he may get his voice back but it is not unusual for people like William said to have damaged vocal cords. Now I am doing great and have just been referred to an ENT who may be able to fix my voice or get a better one than I have now. The vocal cord problems also can cause problems with shortness of breath. So that may be remedied for your brother also. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers and hope that the sugar problem levels out. take care,
Donna70

Thank you for the kind words
Thank you so much for your prayers, I will tell him about you... I hate to keep calling him and making him talk - I worry it hurts to talk or may do more damage.. He is going to have his staples removed this week... I think he has to take a few more chemo treatments... He is such a trooper, he tries to be upbeat about it all... I have about cried my self to death about it - he doesn't ever show emotions at all. I don't know how he does that... I can't....
His son is going to take him to Disney world in November - Seems funny to see the son taking his dad doesn't it... Earl is the biggest kid - he maybe 50 but he is a kid at heart. He has never been on a jet, (neither have I) so he is worried he will not be able to go... I pray he can...

SandyR62

SandyR62 said:

Earl's long jouney
While I don't know all the big words the doctors use, Earl was over weight - he went to the doctors a few years back, maybe 5 years ago and they told him gave hime medicine for heart burn and indigestion. He didn't go to the best of doctors for care... it must have started then.

William Messerschmidt & Thomas Greene was his surgery doctors. They are the only doctors in this area that does this surgery... Earl was told the incisions would be about 2 inches long and they were 8 inches down his neck and his belly one was even longer.
They had a hard time getting him off the ventilator. The removed it in the recovery room and had to put him back on it... Then the removed it in the icu unit and had to put it back in twice there so I wonder if they did damage there. He sounds like a person that inhaled heliem from a balloon..

Earl Had several test that began in February... started with blood work, stress test, exrays, ct scans, he had the pep scan, the endoscopy test -(another one but I can't remember what it is called) where they do the brain . it was about April that found the cancer. It was too large to remove - SO He did 30 radation (every day) treatments and 6 chemo treatments(1 a week) (I don't know what meds were in the chemo) Then they did the balloon test to see if his heart was ok to go the surgury around the 1st of July - which he passed in flying colors.. so he had his surgury 29th...

He was not a diabetic at all before - he was walking on a daily basis and suddenly found he was out of breath when walking - at that time he knew something was going on. He was pale looking - and felt dizzy at times so he went for help then... They put him on iron because his blood was so low... which he did have leg cramps for years and now he hasn't had one since!

After his radation, he did well. He did have his feeding tube inserted in case he needed it but he was his doctors 1st case of a patient that could eat the entire treatment. He actually could eat better than before. He was able to eat things he hadn't eaten in 2 or 3 years. He lost a little weight and they also put him on the feeding machine.

Earl is short of breath, they once said he would have to go home on oxygen but once out the door that was out the window... he is trying so hard, he is walking, doing his breathing exercises and isn't doing very good with eating... he tried solid foods but is staying with liquids... I feel so bad for him. Its been so hard just for me, I can't imagine how it is for him...

My mom thinks speech theorpy will help him with his voice... I came over here before his surgery and read many post from here... its a blessing to have someplace you can go to for help from people that has been down this long path...

Here's my brother
I added his picture to my profile. He's a Kroger employee - as you can see on his shirt. He collects kroger advertisment stuff.... only my brother... You know the sad part is, his son told him he would toss all his collections in the trash if something happened to him. I thought that was horrible so he gave them all to me if something happened to him... anyways... so you know how I am talking about...there he is in my picture....

JimboC

Similar problem for a friend if mine
I have a great friend who had surgery for thyroid cancer. After surgery, he had damaged vocal cords and could barely talk above a whisper. Dr.s told him he may not ever regain his voice. Took him about 3 months I think and it slowly returned to normal. So don't be too discouraged yet, it's still pretty soon.