What a difference 2 weeks makes

kbdarnall

On December 6, 2017, the GI doctor found a "fumigating bleeding 5 cm mass of malignant appearance" in the GE junction. It was a "poorly differentiated" adenocarcinoma. The next few weeks were very scary. My husband had great difficulty swallowing solid foods. He was burping, coughing and hiccuping. He lost 25 pounds and was continuing to lose. Fortunately, the PET-CT and EUS showed no lymph node involvement. He is T3(N0)(M0). On January 8, he started chemo-radiation therapy. After 2 weeks of treatment, swallowing is much easier. Today, he was craving a hamburger. He stopped at MacDonalds and ordered a Big Mac. He ate more than half, then started to feel a choking sensation. I wasn't happy about his decision to get a hamburger but VERY GLAD his appetite has returned. He still drinks protein smoothies but now enjoys scrambled eggs and soft casseroles. His mood is 100% better. I stopped counting calories because he is probably over-eating. He has 4 more weeks of chemo and 19 radiation treatments to go. After that, he will be evaluated for surgery.  

Deathorglory

Great News

Hello,

That's great to hear how well your husband is responding to his treatment.  I understand your concern about him eating a hamburger; my wife & I ran into similar stuff.  She would worry that I wasn't making the smartest decisions and I was concerned about proving that I was in charge of my life, not the cancer.  I made a lot of choices that came with a price to pay, but I willingly paid that price because it gave me a feeling of being the one in charge of my life.  Not that that is smart or something I would recommend, it's just what I did.  Sounds like your husband may have been of the same mind.

Hoping that everything goes well and he's eligible for surgery,

Ed

staceycorry

Great news, but beware

It is great that your husband is eating again.  We went through the chemo/radiation treatments and after 4 weeks my father refused to eat.  We talked to another couple that had just gone through the same treatment and her husband stopped eating also.    I am still strugging to get my father to eat after completing the treatment 3 months ago.  He has lost so much muscle it will be very difficult to gain back.  What I learned is, if he does stop eating, get a g-tube immediatly.    Do not wait.  Wishing you the best.

kbdarnall

staceycorry said:

Great news, but beware

It is great that your husband is eating again.  We went through the chemo/radiation treatments and after 4 weeks my father refused to eat.  We talked to another couple that had just gone through the same treatment and her husband stopped eating also.    I am still strugging to get my father to eat after completing the treatment 3 months ago.  He has lost so much muscle it will be very difficult to gain back.  What I learned is, if he does stop eating, get a g-tube immediatly.    Do not wait.  Wishing you the best.

We took advantage of the

We took advantage of the local hospital's nutritionist. She gives free consultations to cancer patients. She was creative in asking questions. Some of my husband's responses surprised me. Yesterday, his throat was sore from treatment and he drank smoothies all day. Today, he decided to make himself French toast. Not sure why. Perhaps it was an experiment. I suggested adding vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon to the mix. He thought that was wise. Then he applied gobs of syrup and soaked the bread until it was very mushy. Voila! He was able to swallow white bread. (Something the nutritionist said would be difficult.) For lunch, he made himself a second batch of French Toast. Then he promised he would eat MY COOKING for dinner. (Soup maybe?) The nutritionist warned me (privately) that I needed to practice "child psychology." So, I try not to nag. But I do ask him to strive for 2,000 calories. I keep a supply of Reeses Peanut Butter cups (which has a small amount of protein). So far, he is maintaining his weight but it's very time-consuming for me to encourage his eating. Fortunately, neither of us has to work full time. We take walks often (nutritionist's suggestion) because even a short walk helps wake up the appetite. 

 

LorettaMarshall

staceycorry said:

Great news, but beware

It is great that your husband is eating again.  We went through the chemo/radiation treatments and after 4 weeks my father refused to eat.  We talked to another couple that had just gone through the same treatment and her husband stopped eating also.    I am still strugging to get my father to eat after completing the treatment 3 months ago.  He has lost so much muscle it will be very difficult to gain back.  What I learned is, if he does stop eating, get a g-tube immediatly.    Do not wait.  Wishing you the best.

"J" tubes (Jejunostomy) are preferable but glad Dad has a G-tube

Hi Stacey -

Your dad may have already had a "G" tube inserted already, but a "J" (Jejunostomy) tube is preferable because it bypasses the stomach altogether and goes in the second section of the small bowel, the Jejunum.   From there the food is distributed to the different organs.  Sometimes the food can go into the stomach and not empty into the intestines as it should.  Moreover, when surgery is performed, the surgeons would prefer that the stomach not come with a hole in it already because they use that stomach for the New gastric tube.  The "J" tube is inserted in the OR of course.  I understand that a G-tube can be inserted bedside.  

Moreover, a "J" tube is inserted as part of the surgery so as to allow the patient to have enough nutrition to regain his/her strength.  Rarely would a patient come home withoput a "J" tube.  A good deal of weight will be lost to begin with simply because of the "reduced intake" capacity of the new tube.  But in due time, he will graduate from soft foods to junior foods to meat and potatoes.  that will be an "Oh Happy Day!"  

Loretta

staceycorry

LorettaMarshall said:

"J" tubes (Jejunostomy) are preferable but glad Dad has a G-tube

Hi Stacey -

Your dad may have already had a "G" tube inserted already, but a "J" (Jejunostomy) tube is preferable because it bypasses the stomach altogether and goes in the second section of the small bowel, the Jejunum.   From there the food is distributed to the different organs.  Sometimes the food can go into the stomach and not empty into the intestines as it should.  Moreover, when surgery is performed, the surgeons would prefer that the stomach not come with a hole in it already because they use that stomach for the New gastric tube.  The "J" tube is inserted in the OR of course.  I understand that a G-tube can be inserted bedside.  

Moreover, a "J" tube is inserted as part of the surgery so as to allow the patient to have enough nutrition to regain his/her strength.  Rarely would a patient come home withoput a "J" tube.  A good deal of weight will be lost to begin with simply because of the "reduced intake" capacity of the new tube.  But in due time, he will graduate from soft foods to junior foods to meat and potatoes.  that will be an "Oh Happy Day!"  

Loretta

Thanks Loretta

Sounds so promising.  I wish i had found this forum 5 months ago.  Would have helped so much.