One year since undergoing the esophagectomy procedure

tomswift

One year today since i went under the knife. 53 yr old male diagnosed with esohageal cancer 2B. Underwent a month of radiation/chemo treatment. After rad/chemo treament i was basically ned but was practically guareenteed without an esophagectomy the cancer would return and performing the operation at a later date would have a host of other risky complications. i decided to have the esophagectomy. Doc said there were problems from the get go, was unable to do the scheduled minimal surgery and instead had to cut my open big time, leaving me with some cool scars to show off at the beach. My surgery ended up going double the alloted time. After surgery i spent the next three days i icu on a ventilator. I don't remeber much of the time spent in icu, but i do remember about avery 40 minutes or so, my ventilator would start to somehow clog and make it difficult for me to breath. The nurse would need to suction my tubing and i'd be good for about another 40 minutes and the cycle would continually repeat. Here's where it got scary for me, one of the lead nurses was getting annoyed at my claims of not being able to breath and started telling the rest of the staff its only my imagination and that the nurse staff shouldn't continue to help me. Thankfully there were a few good nurses who continued to help me each time i couldn't breath properly. Finally after 3 days they removed the ventilator and released me from icu and move me to my regular recovery floor...

Things appeared to be going good, the Doc put my on clear liquid diet and i was having no problem with drinking and swallowing, i couldn't wait to progress to some solid food. About the forth night, i woke up coughing, gaging and throwing up. I rang for the nurse and while waiting for the nurse, i attempted to take a drink of my juices. Soon as the liquid entered my throat i gagged it right back up. I suspected right away a fistula opened up and xrays confirmed it....

Doc told me the fistula was small and might heal on its own. A stent was put in place to prevent anything from entering my windpipe. And for the next 4 months i couldnt eat or drink anything orally, i'd get my nurishment though a jpeg tube directly into my intestine. Would have to be hooked and fed via a pump for at least 12-16 hours a day...

Four months rolled around and the fistula hadn't healed. I would need another major surgery to make the repair. The doc warned my that i might lose what little stomach i had left. Luckily for me the fistula repair surgery went better then the intiatial esophagectomy and there was no need to remove anymore of my stomach. Within a few days i was back on a clear liquid diet and quickly progressed to eating solid foods...

Had my ct scan and still NED. In my previous life i was a glutton so getting used to eating smaller meals throughout the day is tough for me to adhere to but i'm trying and thankfull i can eat at all...

My main doc says i can return to work whenever i'm ready. My job is tough damanding work most of the time, i feel i cannot do the job anymore. I've already started the retirement process with my union and my union rep assures me the union will allow me to retire and withdraw my 401k with no penalties. But now i'm wondering if the SSA will also let me retire early or will they force me to take a lesser job...?

 

paul61

Social Security Disability is normally approved

Tom,

Social Security Disability is normally very straighforward with EC because it is one of the conditions listed under the SSA's Compassionate Allowances initiative. Here is a reference to help: https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/compassionate-allowances/esophageal-cancer-and-social-security-disability

Regards,

Paul

Deathorglory

Rooting for You

Hello Tom,

As Paul said, SSDI is usually fairly easy.  I got approved in fairly short order and even got back pay from the time I applied, too.  My story mirrors yours in some regards.  I was in the process of getting the laproscopic esophagectomy when the surgeon realized I had a lot of scar tissue from a previous surgery and he couldn't continue.  They needed to call in another surgeon to do an open procedure.  It took a good deal longer than my wife had been told to expect.  She was, um... worried.  Ventilator, fistula, feeding tube, that's all stuff I didn't have to deal with.  I'm sorry you had to go through all of that.  Glad to hear that you're doing well now.

Best Wishes,

Ed