Today's Clinic

I have the radiotherapy early on the weekly "clinic" days. Clinic days are when I get to sit down with a consultant or their registrar to discuss the relevant issues.

Eating and weight loss were the hot topics.

I've had plenty thrown at me for pain when eating so there are three ways forward

1. Stay on current medication and get more food down me
2. Move to oral morphine in low doses and build them up if necessary
3. Have a food line

Although after stabilising my weight I have lost another couple of pounds I am attributing that to having had my intravenous chemotherapy on Tuesday. The next couple of days are always difficult.

I want to avoid the morphine if possible, just so I can keep the head clear.  The food line might seem a bit grim but it is something that I would have to have after operation anyway and it would only be a temporary affair.

The inflammation in the oesophagus should ease as quickly as two weeks after treatment ends, so then eating will become easier again.

I will be persevering with normal food intake for a while, whilst monitoring my weight.  I wouldn't want to lose more than another three or four pounds but there is also plenty of time to put weight back on before surgery.