Through the Tubes

It’s been a minute since I wrote. It’s actually been more like a month. While my last post shared my experiences with some of my nurses, I’ll keep this one focused on the latest with my health. 

• My esophagus is not trash. It’s not completely ruined like my surgeon had thought. So that’s a positive. I had an esophageal tube stent placed in January. The purpose of the stent is to keep my esophagus open (prevent it from closing) and to hopefully* allow the left side to regenerate. 
• The stent allows me to “drink for comfort” – a phrase that has taken on a new meaning. No it doesn’t mean I’m drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages it simply means I can have a drink of something liquid for the taste as the stent helps direct the liquid away from my wind pipe so I won’t choke. While I was beyond excited to taste something after 6 months, the process is a bit more clunky than my drinking dreams envisioned. I have to connect my G-Tube (gastric tube) to a machine that sucks out the liquid after I drink it. It’s hit or miss whether the liquid will go down smoothly or I’ll end up in a coughing fit. It doesn’t help my stoma and my surgical wound on my left side have not healed so liquid just pours out of the holes leaving me ready for a wet t-shirt contest. 
• I started HBO (Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Treatment). I’m on my 5th session. It’s a bit nerve wracking being placed inside a small glass tube for 90 minutes but it is supposed to help heal radiated tissue (and Lord knows I have a ton of it). It also is supposed to help heal wounds and Eli swears my surgical wound on my left side has gotten significantly smaller in just a week. Here’s hoping it can help speed up the healing of my fistula inside my neck. 
• I’m trying really hard not to be depressed. It comes in waves. Some days I’m completely fine and grateful to be doing house chores and going up the stairs without assistance but then other days I just cry and wonder if I’ll always be in this state. I hope not. 
• We go back to Mayo on March 1 for March 2 appointments. I’m very eager to hear what’s next and hoping they can provide me some sort of timeline of what to expect. Have I mentioned how badly I’d like to have a drink without being attached to a machine or to start eating again? Sometimes it’s all I think about. Here’s hoping for some good news.