Well, I'm glad your wife talked you into coming on here :-) I had my surgery 11/24/08 and left the hospital 8 days later. Here they recommend 5 days in ICU and total hospital stay 10-14 days. I did really well and was anxious to get back to my hubby :-) The only thing I still had was my feeding tube. They removed it a month later. I definitely think you could go to the Angel's home opener.

You know as with any surgery you'll have a weight lifting limit to abide by for a while - I don't recall how long (6 weeks - I'm guessing). Soreness from surgery and adjustment to eating in the beginning, but I'd say 2 months from surgery you'll have figured that out. My strongest advice when they start you back on food after surgery is take slow, small bites. My gastro Dr. cautioned me of that and I followed his advice happily!

Also, just know while you're having the surgery you'll be totally out and when you wake, it'll be done :-) Take one day at a time and you should get better as each day passes. Just listen to the Drs. and nurses and YOURSELF. I tried to put them first, since they are the experts and I trusted my Drs., but you know what you can and cannot do.

When they come in to turn you or have you get up, just know that's to help your recovery so even though your body and mind might think - leave me alone - remember you wanna get better and get home - when it is SAFE - not to rush it :-)

Hang in there. You can do this. Come back to share some more :-) I'm 2 years + cancer free and doing very well. I was diagnosed at Stage III. You and your wife are in my prayers! Brenda

I had my surgery on 1/18/10. I was in ICU 5 days and in the hospital a total of 11 days. The first few days are challenging as they will probably try to get you up and moving as soon as possible -- but it is for your good. Everyone is different, but when I went home, I was able to start walking on the treadmill and lifting light weights right away. I had pain in my side where the surgeon went between my ribs, but that was gone within a few weeks. I had my surgery before radiation and chemo treatments (many on this sight had the treatments before surgery) so I had to go through the treatments later. I was still able to stay active during the treatments, but I was often tired and had nausea. I think there is a great chance you'll be ready for the home opener -- though you'll probably have to eat fewer hot dogs :-) Even if you are getting radiaton/chemo treatments, you might still feel up to the game. I attended several events during my treatments, and even managed to lay a Pergo wood floor during 28 days of radiation treatments -- just very slowly. I only used the feeding tube in bed at night, so it really had no effect on daily activities other than lake swimming (risk of infection). For nine weeks I had 24 hour/day chemo treatments through the chemo port and carried a chemo pump in a fanny pack. Even that shouldn't keep you from the game. I bought a few Tommy Bahama type shirts that you wear lose. They covered the fanny pack and tube to the port nicely and no one knew I had it unless I told them.

Hello,
my surgery was on december of 09. i was in the hospital for about 18 days but i had a very unusual complication that i am sure you will not. I went home with one drailning tube and my feeding tube. I used the feeding tube only at night and for meds. i had a leak so i could not even have liquids for 8 weeks. They removed the one tube about a week later. if you take the meds the drs tell you to take and stay up on the pain you will do well.
You do need to try and get up and walk even if you dont want to . and you wont want to :).
Even with my complications i was out of the hospital on jan 3 and by march 1 I was back to work full time.
Everyone is different as you have seen with our comments but, you also see that we all got through this and are doing well.
i see you at the home opener. Good luck and prayers sent your way. cindy

Hi!!!

As Brenda, Cindy, and Dan suggest, everyone's experience with chemo/radiation/surgery is different.

My treatment went in the above order in late 2004 (I was 49). Between the first of August thru surgery on November 16, I was in and out of the hospital about 60 days of that time frame. I was in ICU for 10 days following surgery due to an unexpected heart complication. Believe it or not: I have never asked what the complication was. It has never figured into my treatments.

I don't remember my time in ICU, but my wife described it as difficult. My first memories are getting out of bed to go to the rest room. That was as far as I could walk that day. I quickly increased that to wandering all over the ward annoying the doctors and nurses :-)

Little by little, I had various "lines" removed. The big day came and they removed all the lines. Freedom felt great.

I was weak, easily tired, and regularly nauseated. It was GREAT!

Things progressed quickly. I returned to work 6 weeks after surgery. Limited duty, to be sure. My boss was incredibly understanding.

I also have Parkinson's Disease (dx'd 2 years before EC). That has had a real impact on my energy levels. I got back to 65-70% of pre-surgery energy levels (ie. I was a karate Instructor in addition to regular work. I have been unable to return to Karate).

Still, I'm here; I have my family and friends; and I'm looking ahead to the future.

I have a Florida trip planned for this summer. I also have a trip to the Virgin Islands planned over Christmas. My wife and I are looking into an Alaskan cruise next summer (2012).

Setbacks? I've had a few, but I am getting treatments and planning ahead. I put my affairs in order when I was first diagnosed, and I have made changes as needed. I like to "hope for the best, but plan for the worst".

My family has been an inspiration to me over the years. I can't begin to say how much their love, support, and humor helped me get past difficult times. Sounds like you have the same kind of support. Cherish that. That's not always the case.

There was, obviously, a lot more to the story, but these were some of the highlites.

If you have questions, there are many great people on this post who will be glad to help!!! They have shown this time after time.

Good luck with the treatments and surgery. We'll be praying for you.

All the best,

Fred

I was back at work 3 weeks after the surgery.....and that was too soon. I completely wore myself out and suffered for it......Had I to do it again I would take about 6 or 8 weeks before resuming my normal schedule.....ML.

I had a far easier time of it than others, as I was diagnosed while at Stage 0. The surgeon asked me if I wanted more tests, or just do the surgery and go from there. I went with fast as possible, get it out. No details please.

We then discussed for the next 1/2 hour what the surgery cost, what his cut was, and how much it would cost in the USA. In Canada this surgery is paid for by the tax payer. I wanted to know who and what decides on when or who got the surgery. I think the surgeon liked the conversation. He booked me in two weeks time, saying it is better for me to just remove it now.

The surgery was very anti-climatic, I walked in with the team behind and beside me, they asked me to sit on table and lean forward while they put in an epidermal. They tricked me, when I came to????? 8 hours later, I was pissed off, missed the whole thing.

Because I rushed the surgery I could not get a room and was put in a ward. I would avoid this if you can. The other patients had pneumonia, heart conditions, and other respiratory problems, it wasn't pleasant, and I had alot of trouble sleeping especially when one died 4ft away from me. The lady across from me was told that right there in front me, that she was terminal with weeks to go. The doc then came over to me and started cracking jokes, while I was sitting there stunned. I felt I was in a Monty Python skit, and that I was supposed to say "But I'm not dead yet!!!" That sure stopped me from feeling any sorrow for myself or my condition.

I felt very weak, tired, no pain though, I was walking 3 steps on the day after surgery. Day three, they removed three drain tubes from chest etc. Day 4 catheters, and I was walking the hallway. Day 6 eating scrambled eggs and jello. Day 7 home.

I took my time going back to work, 4 months, I think I should have taken another month on top of that. I still feel very tired (9 months now) after walking the dogs a mile, my heart pounds, and I have breath through the mouth, as can't seem to get enough air if I stand, walk or even talk too much. But that is getting with time and exercise.

I feel very very lucky, it was caught early. Analysis of what they took out, esophagus, 1/3 stomach, 8 lymph nodes. Indicate they got it all, and it had not spread anywhere. No further treatment required- officially cured. I tell everyone who has Barretts or alot of heart burn, get it checked and keep up with those biopsies.

I want to thank everyone for their feedback,it was very encouraging to hear that most of you got back on your feet fairly quickly ! I guess all the talk of tubes & pain had started taking it's toll on me & i was'nt looking forward to the recovery process,i was anticipating months of inactivity, i really do feel much better now thanks to all of you ! Come April i'm at Angels opening day & the Long Beach Grand Prix ! Woo Hoo ! :-)

:-) Yes, the quicker you get it done, the quicker you start your recovery. That's where I wound up the closer my time got to having my surgery :-) The tubes and hookups seemed like they started coming out - just about each day (once they started removing things) another would be taken out/removed :-) When I went home, just went home with the feeding tube and never had to use it even once, after I left. But, if I needed it, I would have used it! I wanted to get recovered as fast as I safely could :-) I think most people go home with their port too, but my surgeons took it out for some reason, which was fine by me! I love your optimism - woo hoo :-) Spring will be here before we know it :-)