I am so mad!!! I went to the hospital Thursdsay for what was suppose to be a very simple procedure-I was going to have my throat dialated and my PEG removed. Well, my throat was so swolled and my mouth is so small that they had lots of trouble & ended up putting a small puncture in my esophagus. So, I was in the hospital for 2 nights, I'm in horrible pain and back to tube feedings. I'm so bummed. I was eating again and had finally gotten over most of the pain and had my spirits up. Now this. The surgeon tells me today.....well, you have to realize you're never gonna be the same person you were before cancer & that now you'll be stronger than other friends and family memebers. I was on so much pain meds I didn't even know what to say. Does anyone have any encouraging words for me? I'm so sad & mad!! Not to mention, I haven't been able to see my 2 year old in 3 days cuz of all of this.

I can tell you that I was right where you were last summer with a perforated esophagus and on lots of pain meds after a surgery to open my esophagus (this was surgery to cut through a complete stricture, though, not a routine dilation). I was in the hospital for a week. What are they doing for the perforation? Have they done video flouroscopy to see if it is still leaking if/when you swallow? They ended up putting a stent in my thorat because the perf. was big enough they didn't think it would heal quickly. I don't know what they told you about this, but a perf. esophagus actually puts you at risk of a nasty infection of your chest cavity from saliva that can leak through the perf. So if you've been frustrated at having no saliva, that actually is a good thing right now. But they probably put you on strong antibiotics and that is why.

For me, it was incredibly frustrating because for the first time in 6 mos I could swallow my saliva (what there was of it) and they were telling me to try not to!

It just sucks that some of us have to go through all these esophagus problems on top of the cancer treatment--like that isn't more than enough by itself. But you aren't the only one that's been there. Hang in there.

Nelie

By the way, I thought maybe I should say that the perforated espohagus happened to me at one of the best hospitals in the country during a surgery done by two excellent surgeons who had done this surgery, on people with strictures from mouth and neck radiation, approx. 50 times before without ever having a serious perforation. It is just one of the risks and can happen even with really good doctors because the tissues of the esophagus are more brittle from the radiation. So try not to be too mad at your surgeon.......

Nelie

Hey Jordan hang in there. Try and stay positive that things will back to normal for you.

Why did you have this procedure done in the first place and what tests did they do to determine you needed it?

My cousin had this done (he is not a cancer patient) he might need it again. He has swallowing problems.

Hope by now you are getting better.

LisaB

They didn't do any tests do determine if I needed it- I was just having problems getting food, pills, etc. down.

No scopes or barium swallows? So could you not eat at all after treatment; what about fluids?

Thanks

How are you feeling today?

LisaB