Time to vent

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nancyann3
nancyann3 Member Posts: 173 Member
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hubby was diagnosed in feb. and had the stent in feb. After weeks of not wanting to eat due to a scratchy throat, three rounds of chemo, a bout with dehydration, a bout with multiple pulmonary blood clots from DVT. Here we are again. The stent is plugged, nothing will pass, even water. they admitted him monday eve for fluids and after sitting all day today, we finally find out that a new stent has been ordered and HOPEFULLY tomorrow it will be here. No one has discussed this with us!!! We are supposed to be building up for surgery. He was doing well, gained 11 pounds. But now the stent is failing. Is it worth going through this again if surgery is close? If he will come out of surgery with a feeding tube, wouldn't it be better to just do that now? Sometimes waiting for docs makes me so mad!

He hasn't ate since Sunday and that wasn't good, because he has been fighting this stent for a couple weeks now. tho he is getting fluids iv..........I feel like I am watching all his progress going down the drain.

Thanks for listening
Nancy

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  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #2
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    nancy,
    My dad went through
    nancy,

    My dad went through the same thing until we insisted that they put in a J-tube after they removed the 2nd stent that had fallen in his stomach and were going to put in a third. Anyway my dad passed on the stent and went for the J-Tube and he has started to gain some strength and is keeping his hydration and nutrition up. Good luck.

    Cindy
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
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  • Donna70
    Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
    #4
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    unclaw2002 said:

    nancy,
    My dad went through
    nancy,

    My dad went through the same thing until we insisted that they put in a J-tube after they removed the 2nd stent that had fallen in his stomach and were going to put in a third. Anyway my dad passed on the stent and went for the J-Tube and he has started to gain some strength and is keeping his hydration and nutrition up. Good luck.

    Cindy

    alternative to j tube
    Hi Nancy,
    I had terrible problems with weight loss before surgery. I asked for a j tube, my drs did not want to do one because it was 3-4 wks before surgery and were afraid of infection maybe because I was so thin and they decided on an NG tube in my nose. I was not happy but they would not do surgery unless I had it to get more nutrition before surgery. It was a small yellow tube in my nose. It did get plugged sometimes but my home nurse and my hubby and myself worked with it and learned how to unplug it. Sometimes if they don't want to do the j tube, they might do this. My GI dr did not want me to have a stent because of all the problems possible with them and now that I have seen so many on this board, I am so glad he insisted that I could not have it. Good luck and keep your hopes up, it is hard when one thing after another fall like dominoes but for your husband to get 11 lbs is great but so sorry about the clot etc. Stay strong. Prayers for you and hubby.
    Donna70
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #5
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  • BMGky
    BMGky Member Posts: 621
    #6
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    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    J tube Yes
    I agree with William and with Bailey. For some unknown reason, my husband could not swallow while undergoing chemoradiation. It was not the tumor but I believe he got a painful infection. Anyway, his first jtube was put in in January. Due to miscommunication from hospital nutritionist, they told home health it was a Gtube and they instructed on bolus feedings. Did not send us home with a pump. We didn't have a clue. When the health aide did the bolus feeding, immediately had problems and pain and broke loose the jtube suture. The jeujenum is small and cannot hold a lot a one time. My son-in-law, a physician in another state, gave me some good input and we limped along until husband re-hospitalized with high sugar due to the liquid he was taking. This time, jtube and pump worked. I was first afraid of the jtube but it and the kagaroo joey pump worked like a charm. Some skin issues but not enough to worry about. He put on weight and had surgery in April. His jtube stayed in until early June. So, it was there for 5 months. My husband couldn't have made it without the jtube. He couldn't have tolerated a stent. You're going to have to have a jtube anyway. I was so glad that following the surgery and going home, that I knew what to do with the feeding and how to handle as there are other concerns such as pain, comfort, and medications that need to be managed as well as learning what to eat, etc. One of the chemo nurses said she wished they would just put jtubes in at the beginning of treatment so that the patient can get an understanding and good nutrition without the complications my husband experienced.
  • nancyann3
    nancyann3 Member Posts: 173 Member
    #7
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    Update on stent problem
    It has been a day from heck!!.....Seems miscommunication was thick today and we were in the dark about a lot of things. I'm not sure where things got messed up, but I know I don't like it.

    Anyway, hubby had new stent put in. We really questioned this, but the doctor felt it was needed due to the fact the he couldn't even get his own saliva through. It seems the old stent did the opposite that most stents do. Instead of migrating down, it migrated up. It had moved itself up past the tumor so the tumor again occluded the esophagus. He seems to be tolerating this stent better. He also got a j tube in. So I will be learning how to care for that. This really gives me more peace of mind.

    What we did not know until I got the surgeon cornered after the procedure, was the last PET shows node activity yet and more nodes involved. So surgery right now is on hold. We would have found all this out Monday at appointment. Now we will see med onc. Monday to find out about new chemo and/or rad to get this under control again. Least I know I can keep him fed one way or another.


    Thanks everyone
    Nancy
  • BMGky
    BMGky Member Posts: 621
    #8
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    unknown said:

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    Vanderbilt Hospital
    I agree with what you had to say. You are so helpful in assisting everyone when dealing with all the various problems encountered when trying to get through treatment. Vanderbilt is a wonderful hospital. It is where my sister received her heart transplant over 15 years ago, and she's still going strong. Keep up your support for us all.

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