Esophagectomy film, with my surgeon in it...

December 7, 2008

Hi all,

A friend of mine told me Saturday my surgery had been on television last

Tuesday! I immediately knew which show it must have been on, so I looked it up

on the internet and indeed the esophagectomy was filmed in my hospital (UMC

Utrecht) and even by my surgeon (Dr. Van Hillegersberg)!

It was very confronting to see this, but on the other hand it felt good looking

at it and recognising a lot of things (feelings for the most part). It was good

for Romeo to have a look at it as well. It's not very medical, bleedy etc. So

not bad for anyone to see, in my opinion that is (even Romeo didn't faint!).

Of course the show is in Dutch, so for many of you that might be a problem. On

the other hand some of you just might be interested in having a look. It's a

medical show that's on here weekly and in this particular one there are 3

different subjects amongst which the esophagectomy. The show starts of with the

patient undergoing it and Dr. Van Hillegersberg standing at his bed. It is

interrupted by the other subjects, goes on with the -ectomy again, interrupted

again and then goes on again. You can fast forward easily.

There are some differences between the man in the show and me: first off I don't

have cancer like he does (pfew!). Second he has a lap. (by robot in this case)

surgery, whereas I had open surgery. Furthermore they had to take out my spleen

as well (due to scar tissue). Then he is working in the garden again already (he

had his surgery done later this year than I had mine), whereas I still cannot do

that type of thing. This because I have to deal with severe scar tissue and he

hasn't (probably because of his age).

Maybe it's of interest to some of you.

Love,

Isabella

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