I am a 16 year laryngeal cancer survivor. In 2015 I had a laryngectomy do to breathing problems that dilations weren't helping. Since my laryngectomy I have started having trouble swallowing. This past summer I had stents put in the esophagus to help enlarge and aid in swallowing. My doctor was able to increase the size from 12 mm to 18 mm. after the second stent placement, which I was able to tolerate for almost three weeks, I developed a fistula and had to have a feeding tube for two weeks. A couple of weeks later the fistula reappeared and I was back on the feeding tube for four weeks. After this healed I had a procedure and gentle dilation, the esophagus had shrunk back down again. I was able to be dilated back to 18 mm. I'm scheduled for another dilation on November 28th, which will be 9 weeks since the last one. I don't think I'm going to last until then, I'm starting to have trouble swallowing again.
My doctor mentioned reconstruction to my family in September, so I'm starting my research to get all the answers I can get.