What to expect 3-6 weeks after surgery - getting through it.

paul61

BobHaze said:

Doing well, but...
My MIE was 5 1/2 weeks ago and overall I'm doing well. 6 days in the hospital, and J tube out after 18 days. My wife made most of my diet decisions for the 1st couple of weeks, and stuck closely to the UPMC diet: 1 week of clear liquids, 1 week of full liquids, 1 week of soft solids, then (almost) whatever you want. It worked well for me, and since then I've had meatloaf, salmon, chicken, white fish...lots of variety. The only food problem I've had is that I seem to now be lactose intolerant, which I never was before. Lactaid seems to work OK, but not regular milk. Last week I thought I had a stomach virus with all of the lovely symptoms, but it seems to have turned out to just be the milk. I lost 20 lbs after surgery and have been maintaining fairly well, but it's a struggle even though I am much less active than before. We just got some Benecalorie and I'll try that later today. I used to eat 3 good size meals a day, and it's proving to be a somewhat difficult adjustment to have 6 or more small meals.

My wife also had me out on 1/2 mile walks in the neighborhood a couple of times a day after the 2nd week home, and now I'm up to 1/2 mile walks morning and noon, then 1 or 2 miles in a park when she gets home from work. All my doctors say that has been huge in my recovery, and I really notice it when weather keeps me in doors.

My only nagging problem is persistent pain in my right front rib cage. It feels like they put a 4 lb. lead weight right on the corner where the rib cage turns toward my back, which is painful when I forget and move a certain way, plus the skin all along that part of my rib cage is ultra sensitive, even just from moving my arm, which causes the muscles in that area to move the skin. Does that sound at all familiar to anyone? The surgeon said it's probably just nerve damage from the surgery that hasn't healed yet, but it's been there for something like 3 weeks now and is getting old and is limiting my activity significantly (other than walking). On the other hand, as my Gastroenterologist said about the surgery, "It may have beem "minimally invasive" on the outside, but it sure as hell wasn't on the inside!"

Bob
T1aN0M0

Sensitivity and numbness on the right rib cage sounds "typical"
Bob,

Good to hear you are doing well. I had an Ivor Lewis surgery so I clearly had a different approach on the outside, but as your Gastroenterologist said the re-arrangement on the inside is basically the same. My right rib cage area was sensitive to touch and movement for a good six months after my surgery. It does seem to take a while for the tissues and muscles in that area to move back to their new positions and settle.

I found that the more I used those muscles (even with some discomfort) the faster they seemed to get better. I even had my PCP refer me to a few weeks of physical therapy and they gave me some stretching exercises that helped a lot.


Best Regards,

Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina

DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
Two year survivor

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

BobHaze

paul61 said:

Sensitivity and numbness on the right rib cage sounds "typical"
Bob,

Good to hear you are doing well. I had an Ivor Lewis surgery so I clearly had a different approach on the outside, but as your Gastroenterologist said the re-arrangement on the inside is basically the same. My right rib cage area was sensitive to touch and movement for a good six months after my surgery. It does seem to take a while for the tissues and muscles in that area to move back to their new positions and settle.

I found that the more I used those muscles (even with some discomfort) the faster they seemed to get better. I even had my PCP refer me to a few weeks of physical therapy and they gave me some stretching exercises that helped a lot.


Best Regards,

Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina

DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
Two year survivor

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

Sensitivity and numbness on the right rib cage
Paul:

Thanks very much for your post, which reminded me that I'm not alone and there are almost always answers and support on this board. I was starting to feel sorry for myself again from this nagging pain and discomfort, even though my surgeon and my PCP both said to be patient and wait for the nerves to mend themselves. Your experience validated that advice and I feel much better about it now - not more comfortable, but better lol.

I think I'll wait a couple more weeks, then ask my PCP for referral to either a neurologist or physical therapy. And I'll follow your advice and try to use those muscles more, and hope that stimulates faster recovery.

Thanks again.

Bob
Cape Cod, MA
T1aN0M0
9/23/11 MIE at Mass General Hospital

Hennings419

BobHaze said:

Sensitivity and numbness on the right rib cage
Paul:

Thanks very much for your post, which reminded me that I'm not alone and there are almost always answers and support on this board. I was starting to feel sorry for myself again from this nagging pain and discomfort, even though my surgeon and my PCP both said to be patient and wait for the nerves to mend themselves. Your experience validated that advice and I feel much better about it now - not more comfortable, but better lol.

I think I'll wait a couple more weeks, then ask my PCP for referral to either a neurologist or physical therapy. And I'll follow your advice and try to use those muscles more, and hope that stimulates faster recovery.

Thanks again.

Bob
Cape Cod, MA
T1aN0M0
9/23/11 MIE at Mass General Hospital

Sensitivity and numbness on right rib cage
Hi Bob,
I just discovered this site today, so this is my first post. I had my MIE on 2/15/2011. I was 59 and had been very active ((Bowflex workouts, martal arts, bike riding) when I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in January. Fortunately it was stage 1 and I didn't need chemo or radiation. However, I did also have a thickening of the mucosa, and ultimately had over 80% of my esophagus removed. I seemed to share most of the post op problems that others have mentioned, including pain and numbness in my right rib age.

As soon as the doctors cleared me to resume regular exercising, I resumed the Bowflew and dumbbells, and after several months of regular workouts, I am stronger than before the surgery.But the rib area was the last to improve. I had installed a pull-up bar in my barn a few years ago, and before the surgery I could do about 6-7 overhanded pull- ups, and about 10 with an underhand grip. After I had already been working out for a few months, I couldn't even hang from the bar without pain, let alone pull myself up. One day in frustration and anger, I climbed up a small ladder so that I could be in the pulled up position, and I slowly let myself down. There was a bit of pain, but not as bad as expected. I kept at it until I could start pulling up. Today I am nearly back to pre-surgery level. Sorry for being so long-winded, but it was more like 5 months before things returned to normal. I still experience some numbness, but no pain.

Hope this helps. Hang in there, there are better days ahead.

Regards,
Pete hennings

Unknown

Hennings419 said:

Sensitivity and numbness on right rib cage
Hi Bob,
I just discovered this site today, so this is my first post. I had my MIE on 2/15/2011. I was 59 and had been very active ((Bowflex workouts, martal arts, bike riding) when I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in January. Fortunately it was stage 1 and I didn't need chemo or radiation. However, I did also have a thickening of the mucosa, and ultimately had over 80% of my esophagus removed. I seemed to share most of the post op problems that others have mentioned, including pain and numbness in my right rib age.

As soon as the doctors cleared me to resume regular exercising, I resumed the Bowflew and dumbbells, and after several months of regular workouts, I am stronger than before the surgery.But the rib area was the last to improve. I had installed a pull-up bar in my barn a few years ago, and before the surgery I could do about 6-7 overhanded pull- ups, and about 10 with an underhand grip. After I had already been working out for a few months, I couldn't even hang from the bar without pain, let alone pull myself up. One day in frustration and anger, I climbed up a small ladder so that I could be in the pulled up position, and I slowly let myself down. There was a bit of pain, but not as bad as expected. I kept at it until I could start pulling up. Today I am nearly back to pre-surgery level. Sorry for being so long-winded, but it was more like 5 months before things returned to normal. I still experience some numbness, but no pain.

Hope this helps. Hang in there, there are better days ahead.

Regards,
Pete hennings

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Unknown

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Hennings419

unknown said:

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Thanks for the warm welcome.
My surgery was performed at Shands in Gainesville, Florida ( a teaching hospital associated with the University of Florida). Dr. Steven Hochwald was the surgeon. While I am fine now, the first two months after the surgery were pretty rough. I had bleeding after the initial 6 hour surgery, so they had to go back in the next day for about 3 more hours of surgery. I was in ICU for 2 days, and in the hospital for 8. We had purchased an adjustable bed a few years ago, and had prepared for coming home by, for instance, getting a shower bench and hand-held shower. Even with the bed, I found that I had to sleep in a recliner for about a week. I also developed fluid in the lungs, which would cause me to wake up out of breath. A few days on lasix seemed to fix the problem. My main complaint was weakness, fatigue, and loss of strength. I had been encouraged to exercise, and it would totally wear me out just to walk to my front gate and back. And while I had a pretty positive and stubborn attitude, I must admit I had a few down days when I wondered if I would EVER get back to good health. It took about two months until I felt pretty normal. And the turning point came in May, when my wife and I went on a transatlantic cruise. We were at sea for nearly two weeks, and I decided to put that time to good use by working out in the fitness facility every day, as well as pampering myself with the sauna, Turkish bath, and several massages. We ended up in Switzerland, where I spent a week hiking at least a mile a day at 5000 ft. It seemed to really improve my stamina.

Today I feel great (other than some issues with my voice). I have come to see my cancer as a gift, if that makes any sense. I was blessed to have so many people praying and pulling for me. And my wife was my special blessing.

Thanks for your warm welcome to the group.
Regards,
Pete H.