Page 16 - Family Help
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Life after an oesophagectomy or gastrectomy
and often, the throat. Recovery takes some time; if you were working you are
going to be off for some months and it could be more than 12 months or so before
you are really at your best, although hopefully you will feel pretty well long before
that.
Exercise
You will be helped to start exercising very quickly after the operation; the
Physiotherapist helps to get you taking deeper breaths which will help to move
any mucus that can gather as a result of the operation and anaesthetic. This may
feel hard work at the time, but effort put in at this time is well worthwhile. As you
get out of bed and feel so weak you see the challenge. Walking is about all you
can do at this stage. Any effort exhausts you and going up stairs is like climbing
Mount Everest but try walking a little further each day and it will get easier. Activity
that includes gentle upper limb and lower limb exercises are encouraged.
Progressive exercise during this early period should be taken by increasing speed
or distance – not both. Bear in mind that outdoor walking is more difficult – there
may be slopes, a wind and heavier clothing to wear – and don't forget you have to
get back again!
Look after yourself at this stage, not the housework! Continue the breathing
exercises the Physiotherapist taught you in hospital. It can be done sitting up
straight or standing. (If there is still phlegm coming up you may have been given
extra exercises to do – don't neglect them!)
Back home
Progress may seem slow but pushing it too hard will possibly do more harm than
good. Don't try to prove anything; it's not worth it, the body will take its own time.
During this early stage, coughing, perhaps occasional sickness and movement
generally will be painful and you may feel that things will come apart inside. Be
assured – they will not. If you have had an open oesophagectomy the ribs do take
time to repair and it will be a month or two before you can sleep on the side
affected. Muscles too have been stitched together but these heal well in about two
months; bones and cartilage take rather longer. Nerves, which are necessarily
severed in any operation, repair very slowly indeed and some areas around the
wound may remain numb.
Surface pain at the wound may occasionally occur for years. Nothing to worry
about – it's the raw nerve endings. However, if you experience continued pain,
you should request a medical review by your surgeon.
You may feel able to tackle the odd bit of housework after a few weeks but don't
aim to complete it all in one go.
You may find that your ability to concentrate has been affected. This can be very
frustrating, but it will gradually return. It may help to take up a new hobby that is
not so demanding while you have got time on your hands.
Driving
The recommendation is not to drive until 6–8 weeks after the operation. The real
test with regard to going back to driving is that you must be capable of making an
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