Keep Fighting

Dave Tronnier

 

September 16, 2015 I was diagnosed with stage 3 Adenocarcinoma esophageal cancer. I underwent 25 sessions of proton beam radiation along with chemotherapy over the course of 5 weeks. After waiting another 5 weeks to recover from that kind of crazy I had my Ivor Lewis surgery, 14 hours on the table. After 9 days in the hospital I was back home. Since my Ivor Lewis I’ve lost 90 pounds and have undergone 34 dilations and 2 different PEJ tube placement surgeries. I’ve been put under Propofol 35 times now since my 1-5-2016 Ivor lewis surgery. The good news, I had my feeding tube removed this past June and have been able to maintain my new 210 lb fighting weight without tube feedings. My stricture had closed to 4mm and kept closing to the point of not being able to even drink water without choking for months. Today after 34 dilations, 5 needle knife surgical procedures along with 6 steroid injections into the stricture plus 30 hours in a hyperbaric oxygen tank therapy, my stricture is finally staying open at 15mm. NO MORE dilations scheduled at this time... YEA!!! I can swallow most all foods now. Bread is difficult and floats to the surface of what’s left of my stomach after eating and makes me regurgitate.  Meat is difficult, but hey I eat it and spit it out as needed, swallow what I can and still enjoy the taste.

 

I never feel full and my motility is very slow so eating is a crapshoot as to whether I’m going to overfill my stomach/pouch/esophagus whatever you call it. I end up regurgitating nearly every time I eat, can’t help it; it’s like filling a glass of water to overflow, same thing happens to my gut, I can’t tell when I’m full. Well that’s not completely true, I do know I’m full for sure when my voice changes and I have to remove the last 3 bites of food so I can talk and breathe again. My wife calls me the chummer when we go fishing.

 

OK… enough of that. Life is precious and I am blessed to have been given another shot at it. Today is challenging at time as I do struggle with some depression over the losses, but I’ve adapted to my new way of life. I no longer worry about being embarrassed by my need to regurgitate when needed. I bring my fancy little puker bags with me to the restaurant and sit facing away from people whenever possible. I’ve learned to be very discreet, and it not like major blowout pukes, it’s just the overflow.

 

What I would tell anybody that reads my post is this. I would not change a thing, life is great today above ground and I’m cancer clean 2 years later and going strong. The worms are going to have to wait another 25 years to get me. I’m 59 years old today and feeling better than I have in years.

 

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT all the way and never stop until you kickass on the **** that cancer is. Peace !

 

Deathorglory

Welcome Dave

Hello Dave,

Sorry you find yourself here, but welcome, anyway.  Sounds like you've been through the wringer.  Everyone who has been on this ride has their own version.  You've obviously been through a lot and have come back out the other side.  Those are things that will make your contributions here valuable to others.  Please stay in touch and post to folks who could benefit from hearing from someone who has been there and done that.

Best Wishes,

Ed