Page 5 - Matt Carter Story

Page 5 of 6
Matt Carter’s Storey
4 - And finally ...
In this final instalment I describe what
happened after my oesophagectomy bringing
matters more or less up to date.
Being discharged from hospital was a relief
in one way, wanting to get home and
basically relax and recover under my own
steam, but it was a difficult moment leaving
the safety of the hospital where they looked
after me so well. Being able to phone our
ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) or the
ward for advice was a great comfort and we
knew our surgeon wouldn't hesitate to step
in if something urgent cropped up. Also
reading OOSO's booklet was a great help,
preparing us for the return home and what to
expect.
On the ward a duty consultant visits patients
every morning to review their progress but
they won't commit to a discharge date more
than a day or two in advance. They need to
be sure the patient is well enough to go
home. So, being released can happen
suddenly and the patient's family need to be
aware of what's going on and to be prepared
for it.
The day before leaving hospital the
consultant said I might be allowed home
and, sure enough, the next morning he
signed off my release. Leading up to
discharge, physiotherapists made sure I was
able to walk a reasonable distance and to get
up and down stairs safely. In addition,
dietitians talked me through a booklet
outlining the kinds of food I should eat and
how often.
I was well enough to walk out of the hospital
to the car waiting by the front door and, with
care, I was able to climb into the front
passenger seat. Driving wasn't an option and
in fact I didn't drive for about six weeks after
the operation. We checked with our
insurance company who confirmed I
wouldn't be covered if I caused an accident
during that time. Besides, I was still on
painkillers and quite drowsy. Common sense
must prevail. Ask whoever drives to avoid
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potholes, go slowly over speed bumps, and
take corners carefully. It all helps.
It was such a relief to be back at home in
familiar surroundings and close to my wife.
She has been incredible throughout,
supporting me when I needed it but giving
me space to do things for myself and not
fuss over me too much.
My sense of appreciation of life was intense
that day and has remained the same since.
Because I love food I wanted to choose my
meals but it's vitally important to follow the
dietician’s advice and the tips in the OOSO
booklet. Soft foods at first, little portions and
often. Six small meals a day spread out two
hours apart. However, just after two weeks
at home I was eating toast (brown seeded
granary bread); duck eggs being a high
protein favourite; grated cheese on baked
beans; full fat milk in tea; cream in coffee
and soups and so on. I was also keeping high
protein seed bars and packets of nuts in my
pocket for snacks.
Within three months I was eating small
portion, full English breakfasts and roast
dinners.
Drinking alcohol in sensible amounts is fine
and sipping away at a couple of pints of an
evening is a pleasure! A small alcoholic
drink before a meal seems to help relax the
new stomach and allow food to pass through
more smoothly.
Now, two years on I've regained 20lbs of the
40 lost and cut down from six small meals a
day to three with occasional snacks. Don't
eat too much or too quickly as either may
cause 'Dumping syndrome'. This is
effectively a pain in the stomach minutes
ahead of a quick trip to the loo.
I also carry a pack of dextrose tablets which
really help if I eat something too sweet that
leads to headaches and extreme tiredness,
almost like a diabetic reaction. Dextrose
tablets from any chemist seem to help curb