I am 63 yrs old and just had the surgery on 10 Feb following chemo and radiation. The surgery was performed at Ocala Regional by Dr
Rossidis. Everything went well and I went home after 6 days. I did have a leak a week later which healed. As you may know, the initial recover is 6 weeks where you will begin with a liquid diet and progress to a full diet. I talked to a dietitian at the VA for diet suggestions and that helped. I did not have much trouble with the diet restrictions or eating.
I kept the feeding tube in, which had been installed 6 months prior as a backup for the whole 6 week period but did not use it the final 2 weeks.
It is important to not eat too much. Some people experience diarrhea after overeating but I had hot flashes. I still have trouble with greasy foods like burgers but can eat salsa with no problem.
I was prepared for eating but was a bit surprised at how the surgery affected my lungs. I had to stop to catch my breath after walking around the kitchen island the first day home. My wife got me a walker which I used for a few days. I developed stamina by riding bike. A 6 mile loop took me 45 minutes but 7 months later now can be done in 26.
There is an esophageal cancer support group in the villages but we haven't been meeting due to covid restrictions.
Good luck. I would be willing to talk to you privately if you want. I am not sure how to exchange info on this forum.

My Dad had an esophogectomy as well as chemo and radiation. He did very well with chemo and radiation.
Then they removed his esophagus and created a new one using part of his stomach. I dont know what is typical, but he had to eat small meals throughout the day and sleep on an incline to keep stomach contents in his stomach. Your doctor should be able to tell you more. Hope this helps. Praying for you both.

I had my esophagus removed in 2002 after having five weeks of radiation and two 96 hour bouts of chemotherapy. I helped form a support group in Ann Arbor, MI So you are welcome to contact me to discuss what and how the whole process went. jrkluck42@gmail.com. Or 810-908-3369
John Kluck
Please don’t put it off.

This is not the place for the answers you are looking for. Other peoples' experience may or may not pertain to your condition. Cancer of any type is not to be ignored at any age. You need to connect with ENT doctors, Oncologists, and throat surgeons as soon as possible so that you do know what to expect and potentially have options.

What treatment is proposed? I’m a retired surgical RN and can translate for you

esophageal cancer
 

The primary care team, especially the lead oncologist, must be the primary means of information. when I was faced with esophageal cancer a year ago I determined to stay away from Google and other on line information as I felt the potential danger of receiving false information from unvetted sources was too high. This meant I placed a lot of trust in my Oncologist, but I still feel it was the best choice.

However, I did join an esophageal cancer support group and feel the information I received from them was very valuable and helpful. The doctors can tell you a lot but have rarely personally experienced the disease and cant tell you how it feels to go through it and how you may experience symptoms and side effects. So it is valuable to get opinions outside of the medical profession.

esophageal cancer survivor
 

I had it at age 52. Now 75. I did not have chemo or raiation, just surgery. Esophajectomy - removed entire esophagus by turning the stomach vertically & stretching it to my throat to form my new esophagus. Never had a moment of pain. Doc was at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Balto, Md. Took 3 mos. off from work. Probably had to wait a yr. to resume tennis. I can eat anything I want, did not lose my speech, have almost invisible vertical scar. I play golf, walk, dance, bike, etc.My partner brought home funny videos to watch for week/months before the surgery so I could take it lots of oxygen by laughing. Had a great support team. It's impt. to think positive & pray. Good luck to you! Anita

Need more information, a you having an open surgery or laparoscopic? Feeding tube ? Etc..

Husband had tongue cancer, recently passed but we had
11 years in remission. Like many have stated your course depends on many things. If you need provider here Advent Health Celebration is now #1 in the area for head and neck NOT Moffitt in Tampa. :pray:

What is the name of your f/b group? There are many.

Your primary care team is paramount and your case will be unique.
That said, I discovered through support groups some simple ways to deal with the daily grind. One example, I used a velcro "belt" to keep my feeding tube in place. When I showed that to my oncologist, she said she'd not ever seen one before.
It does help to hear the experiences of others and get info from a personal perspective in addition to the professional view Best wishes and hang tough.