Reflux

My mom had a total  stomach removal on 10/31/07.  She was stage 1B.  They removed 9 nodes and 1 had a detection of cancer.   No other organs affected.    She has recovered very well from the physical surgery and just started her radiation and chemo today.  28 radiation treatments of 10 minutes each, consecutive days.   She has simultaneous chemo for 5 days for about an hour each.   5FU/LV.   Then she has 21 days rest at the end of which time she'll have finished her radiation.   they will decide at that time if she'll go for another 5 days of chemo or call it done.  That's the good news.   Her problem  has been acid reflux or more specifically bile reflux.  Since she doesn't have a stomach, she doesn't get acid reflux.   It's bile reflux which is fluid that gets secreted into the intestine for digestion when you eat.   Since the esophagus doesn't have that flap anymore which keeps the bile from coming up and the esophagus is connected directly to the intestine, she has frequent bile reflux.    It's a painful burning, sour taste.    Does anybody have this problem or did you have this problem?   How did you resolve it?   What kinds of foods triggered the reflux.  Does anything help that situation?

 thanks for any information. 

I had 80% of my stomach removed12-26-06.I have that problem of the bile. It got so bad that I was getting sick to my stomach every time I ate.What they found was the radiation had damaged part of my esophagus that was making it close.The only way they found this out was to do a scope. He stretched that, and I have had it done 3 times since August.The doctor said it might take several times to get it to stay open. It has helped so much. I know when the symptoms come back it is time to go back in. The burning hurts so bad!! I feel for your mother. I went to my cancer doctor, a general surgeon and my radiation doctor telling them I was getting sick almost every meal. The doctor that solved it was my GI doctor.  What a relief!! 

Was the radiation rough for her? The last week and the 2weeks following were horrible for me. I was so sick. And the chemo gave me horrible sores in my mouth.I wish her the best. This is a horrible disease, and just now after a year I am feeling like I am getting back to normal. So tell her there really is better days coming.If she would like to talk to me I would be glad to give a private reply to give my  personal email.

Well, she's only on her second radiation treatment today.  She has 26 more to go.   So, we haven't had much effect from that yet.

I'm wondering why they would stretch your esophagus more to open it?  I thought the bile reflux happens because the flap that used to be between the stomach and esophagus is no longer there and bile secretes out up your esophagus when it gets secreted into the intestine. 

How many rounds of chemo did you have?   How many radiation treatments?  What stage were you?

Sorry for all the questions. 

Did you doctor say that your esophagus would eventually heal so that you don't have to keep getting it stretched?

When I would get sick eating it was bile. The esophagus was almost completely closed the first time they stretched it. I had 25 radiation treatments and 5 rounds of chemo. I was considered a stage 2. What stage is your mom?  She is really in the beginning of her treatments. Sounds like she has a different problem than i do.  My sister has had stomach cancer and has a problem with bile build up. the doctor told her there is not much they can do.

Hopefully as they stretch my esophagus it will stay open.  How is your mom's outlook on things? What stage is she?

She's in Stage 1B.   Right now, she's very upset about the bile reflux and the constant gas/burping.   When the reflux comes it just totally demoralizes her after a while.   It's not a constant thing, but she gets it maybe once a day for about 20 minutes, or for example, she was up all night last night with bile issues.   She sleeps propped up pretty well on her bed, and she's never really had bile issues at night.   But last night for some reason it just got her and she was miserable this morning.   But all day today, there's been no issue. 

 From everything I've read, this bile reflux is just something that they have no solutions for.   It's upsetting because this could lead to later problems with the esophagus including cancer there, too. 

 She's not at that point in her illness where's she's developed that resolve to get through this and deal with it as best she can,and learn from it, etc.   You know, the Chicken Soup for the Soul phase.    Right now, she's just irritated and mad that this is happening. 

I appreciate your responses to my messages.

1. Does she have problem passing gas when she has reflex?

2. What is the color of the fluid coming out?

3.  You can measure the fluid's acidity / alkaline if you have ph paper.  Bile would have a very high ph #.

I think the problem is the gas. First find out if it is bile and gas problem. If it occur during the meal or after the meal, walk around and sip a little water to let gas out.  If this doesn't work and she can not sleep, she may need to try the over the counter drug to move the gas. 

How did the doctor say when when call?  Sometimes, the nurse has more experience.