How long

[2cats4us]

I had the Ivorlewis surgery on Sept 3rd of 2014. I have had to go and have the balloon treatment to allow me to eat twice. It lasts about a month and then I start throwing up again. Is there a set number of times that this can be done? Have a lot of back pain and my right lung has never been the same

[MFH28]

Hi

I had to have four dialations before I was able to eat normally without the prospect of being sick every time I ate, or tried to. For those of us who experience this unfortunate side effect of the operation it is tough, but with help you will gradually get back to being able to eat normally, albeit smaller but regular meals.

PC

[Hidden]

There are some patients who have this procedure done many times. It is very frustrating, but generally it does alleviate the issues for a period at least, and normally it eventually settles down. The surgeons will tend to do the procedure gently, and that is a very good thing.

The lungs can take a long time to get back to normal; they have had a bit of a bashing during surgery, but eventually you will be able to do deep breathing. Gentle, progressive exercise is the key to it all - and patience. The body needs to rest and recover at its own speed, but it is a very hard process on you and your loved ones. We never realise at the time how long this recovery process will take, but as long as you are a bit better generally this week than last week you are on the right road.

The back pain might be a bit of pain transfer via nerves, or muscular effects from vomiting perhaps? You might try a physiotherapist at some stage? It is not all that uncommon, but back pain is not an easy thing to pin down.

You do not have to pretend to be cheerful about all this by the way, but being quietly positive is a good thing. You are at the stage where you might begin to wonder whether things are ever going to get really better. It seems like a long hard road without much light at the end of the tunnel, but lots of us go through this successfully and find that it turns out all right in the end.

[brucemillar]

Hi

I had my surgery on 1st September 2014 in St Thomas's with the wonderful James Gossage.

Your symptoms are very similar to mine. I have had three throat stretches and one stomach exit stretch.

Things are settling down in that area now. I eat pretty well but very small amounts.

I too have very bad back pain under my left shoulder blade. When I walk for 5 minutes it spreads around to my chest and feels like I am being crushed. I tried physio with little success. That may have been down to the frequency that they could fit me in - once every two weeks. I take pain killers daily now for this, if I don't it hurts like hell. If I do it is still there but bearable.

Every day I start to feel that things are better. Then I will have something new and immediately think it's cancer returning. I wish I could stop that from happening. I hope with time it will subside.

Good Luck.

Bruce

[listen in reply to brucemillar]

Hi Bruce love your reply! It is so different for every patient! I now think that the doctors are starting to get to know that every body is different? So hoping so because I do know that we , well I am just a molecule ! We truly have to try to trust and rely upon our doctors!

[brucemillar in reply to listen]

For me, my surgeon (James Gossage) has been just fantastic. Every call answered, every email gets a reply and he always agrees to see me. For that alone he deserves a medal. For me it means that I have a reasonable grasp on what is going on with me.

I think that 9 months post Op is a short time on the healing process. I am hugely impatient though and always want things to just happen. I want to be defined by me and not Cancer or Surgery. That's a bind as people look at me expecting me to be different and I'm trying so hard to be Bruce.

This is with one exception. When I get on the train for my morning commute there are still people who would trample over me to get to that empty seat. Then I think I want a neon Cancer Sign on my head as sympathy vote.

One other I notice. I have had a head cold for over a month now and that just will not shift, to the point that I getting used to having it. My hooter is constantly blocked or running. It could be hayfever so I am now trying some nasal spray for that. Small price. 9 months ago I thought I might just go to sleep and not wake up. How things have changed :ˆ)

[listen]

Hello 2cats4us,

I did not have the Ivor Lewis operation. I also have never had to do the balloon treatment and cannot know what you are going through the only thing is for me to state my current conditions since my surgery March 22, 2013. Had my surgery as a minimal invasive surgery by a surgeon at Cedar Sinai. I too do not feel that my lung capacity is the same as before the surgery, but given the fact that they had to flay it open to do the surgery there you go! With that stated before my surgery by my surgeon wanted for me to have a sonogram endoscopy which they do not provide in the County of my area. The endoscopic sonography Dr. came into the waiting room and stated that did the ultrasound came in after I was done and stated that he found a lymph node that was where normally they do not search around . But of course he found it where it was not normal? I had minimal invasive surgery.And before my surgeon did the surgery he did the disclaimer thing here in California that he was not certain that he could get all of the cancer! He did get the remainder of the tumor and tested 22 lymph nodes and none active but also did not go into my neck where the endoscpic Dr. was fishing around and found it! What the heck maybe should have had the general surgeons here in our county do the procedure but was persuaded by my chemo Dr. to go to if I was you I would go here. Kinda wish that they would have done the Ivor Lewis technique to cut that friggen lymph node out of my neck. I need to schedule my 3 month follow up appointment with my chemo Doctor it has now been almost for months now and am a bit apprehensive as my last Pet scans and a mammogram resulted in having a needle biopsy in my clavicle area and one of my breasts and they came out negative and I found out Dec 31st 2014. I get pain in my neck on my right hand side in my shoulders and neck but have started to do yoga twice a week now and my posture is improving and my awareness of how I hold myself I think I was so pissed off that my father whom always told me sit straight and hold your head and shoulders back is up in heaven and I thought what the F does he know being in the pain I was in he did as he died of small cell lung cancer the oncologist stated that most likely to exposure of asbestos but he did smoke until he was in his later 30's but quit 29 years previous to his death...

But guess what we are alive this morning and you need to continue to validate this and get in and see any doctor asap! I am so sorry that you are unable to eat without throwing it up. not had a problem eating! With Chemo and Radiation went down to 103 pds. Not quite certain what that would be in your metric system but was my high school and college weight. Have always been thin up until I was pregnant with my daughter and developed heart burn so bad 22 years ago that I had to eat before 5:00 p.m. otherwise I would throw up anything once if I layer down flat to go to sleep. Are you sleeping upright? I am now 133 pounds and have gained weight since my operation because I hated the feeding tube and love, love food and am not as active as I use to be. I think I am just lucky to be alive and try to exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week and feel fairly strong. Have difficulties at times but has made me be more patine and tolerant. Was type a personality! No longer that given up having to think I was controlling everything! Do you have a bed lifted off the ground? Are you eating 3 hours before you go to bed?