Stomach Cancer: Looking for advice and support

My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer about three weeks ago. He had surgery 15 days ago—they removed his entire stomach and the lymph nodes. The pathology report showed two nodes were positive. It’s terrifying, but honestly, the recovery itself is the nightmare right now. He actually seemed better immediately after surgery, but once they pulled the feeding tube, the drain, and the catheter (he still has one in his neck), everything just fell apart. First came the vomiting, then the constant hiccups. His fever was fine at first, but on day 10, he spiked to 102. By day 13, he was in agony with pain in his left shoulder and under his left ribcage. They gave him Dolantin, and at one point, he started shaking uncontrollably. They ran tests—ultrasound looks okay, chest X-ray is fine, things are moving through, but we're still waiting on blood cultures. They have him on antibiotics. Today is day 15, and he’s just completely wiped out. The sharp pains have subsided, but his left side is tender, and it hurts whenever he tries to move in bed. The doctors suspect sepsis and think something is wrong on the left side, but the ultrasound isn't showing anything. They’re wondering if there’s a leak at the anastomosis, but nothing is certain. It feels like they're running out of ideas while we just sit here waiting for answers. My dad is only 55; he’s always been this strong, steady guy, and seeing him waste away like this is brutal—especially since chemo hasn't even started yet. I don't know whether to push for a CT scan or something else. I'm terrified of a leak, sepsis, or peritonitis. I'm scared they aren't doing enough. This is my first time posting here, so I'm not sure how things work, but please, if anyone has been through this or has any insight, I need help. I can't stop thinking about how much he's changed; twenty days ago, he was perfectly fine, full of life.

Linda Hill29 said:My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer about 20 days ago. He had surgery 15 days ago, where they removed his entire stomach and lymph nodes. The pathology report showed two positive lymph nodes. It’s all terrifying, but right now, the biggest issue is his postoperative recovery, which frankly hasn't been good at all. He actually seemed best immediately after the surgery. But once they pulled out his feeding tube, the drain, and the urinary catheter (he still has a central line), everything just went downhill. The day after that, he started vomiting, then the hiccups hit him. His temperature was fine initially, but on the 10th day post-op, he spiked a fever of 102. On the 13th day, he was hit with this agonizing pain in his left shoulder and under his left rib cage. They gave him Dolantin. At one point, he even started shaking uncontrollably. They ran tests: ultrasound looked okay, chest X-ray was clear, bowel passage seems fine, and we're waiting on blood cultures. They started him on antibiotics. Today is day 15, and he is incredibly weak and exhausted. The intense pain has subsided, but his left abdomen is tender, and the pain flashes back briefly depending on how he moves, especially when sitting up or lying back down. The doctors suspect sepsis and think something is going on on his left side, but the problem is that nothing shows up on the ultrasound. They're wondering if there might be a slight leak at the anastomosis, but everything is up in the air. Right now, everyone is just waiting for clarity, but it feels like they're running out of ideas to solve it. Meanwhile, my father—who is 55 and has always been strong and steady—is slowly wasting away and losing weight, and he hasn't even started chemotherapy yet. I don't know what to do. Should I insist on more testing, like a CT scan? I'm terrified the sutures are failing, or that it's sepsis, or peritonitis... I'm scared they aren't doing everything possible. This is my first time posting on the forum, so I don't really know the rules or how things work here, but please, I need help. If anyone has any ideas or has gone through something similar, please let me know. I'm so scared and I have no idea what lies ahead; everything so far has been brutal. I can't stop seeing his exhausted face in my mind... and just 20 days ago, he was perfectly fine, strong, and full of life.

I'm just a layperson, so take this with a grain of salt. It's possible he picked up a urinary tract infection from the catheterization, and the bacteria spread, which would explain why they suspect sepsis. Usually, it’s E. coli or Staph aureus. Ask them if they've run a urinalysis.
The only thing you can really do is look into immune support supplements for him. We've discussed this extensively on this forum, and some of them are genuinely well-received. On the main thread, you'll find a sub-forum that could be extremely helpful—reach out there, and also check the website for the "Good Morning America" association www.zanovidan.hr, where you can find useful information.
Don't spiral into despair; instead, be persistent. Lean on the doctors. Sometimes they drop the ball not because they're bad people, but because they're overworked—there are too many patients and not enough staff to give every individual the intensive focus required for high-quality care. If you lobby for him and demand second opinions, you force them to pay closer attention. Unfortunately, that's just how hospitals work. There are plenty of us on this forum who will tell you the exact same thing.
Take it one step at a time. Just stay on top of them.

Linda Hill29 said:About 20 days ago, my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He underwent surgery about 15 days ago—they had to perform a total gastrectomy and remove his lymph nodes. The pathology report showed that two of those nodes were cancerous. It’s all terrifying, but right now, the biggest nightmare is his postoperative recovery, which has been anything but smooth. Honestly, he seemed at his best immediately following the surgery. But once they pulled out the feeding tube, the drain, and the urinary catheter (though he still has a central line), everything just spiraled downward. The day after that, he started vomiting, followed by bouts of intense hiccups. His temperature seemed fine initially, but on the 10th day post-op, he spiked a fever of 102. By the 13th day, he was gripped by agonizing pain in his left shoulder and under the left rib cage. They administered Dolantin. At one point, he even started shaking uncontrollably. They ran tests: ultrasound looked okay, chest X-ray was clear, bowel transit seems fine, and we are currently waiting on blood cultures. They have him on antibiotics. Today marks day 15, and he is incredibly weak and exhausted. While the sharp pains have subsided, his left abdomen remains tender, and the pain flares up briefly when he changes positions, especially when getting in or out of bed. The doctors suspect sepsis and think something is brewing on his left side, but the frustrating part is that nothing is showing up on the ultrasound. There is suspicion regarding a possible leak at the anastomosis, but it's all speculation at this point. It feels like everyone is just waiting for clarity, though it seems to me like the medical team is running out of ideas to pin down the cause. In the meantime, my father—a 55-year-old man who has always been strong and composed—is slowly wasting away and losing weight, and he hasn't even begun chemotherapy yet. I am lost. Should I push for more testing, like a CT scan? I am terrified that the sutures are failing, or that he's sliding into sepsis or peritonitis. I'm scared they aren't doing enough. This is my first time posting on this forum, so I’m not entirely sure how things work here, but please, if anyone has any insight or has walked a similar path, I am desperate for help. I am paralyzed by fear, and seeing him like this is traumatic. Just 20 days ago, he was healthy, vibrant, and full of life.

I honestly don't know what to tell you... After my mother's stomach surgery, she spent about 10 days in the ICU. Around the 8th or 9th day, the doctors told us things had turned critical and that sepsis was a very real, immediate threat. We were absolutely terrified. She was pumped full of various antibiotics and God knows what else. Once they switched her antibiotics during that critical window, things finally stabilized.
It sounds like there might indeed be an issue with the anastomosis—that connection where the stomach is joined to the small intestine. They really ought to run imaging, perhaps a CT or X-ray, to see what's actually happening internally. My mother had to go through that too. You have to be persistent and demand it. This is an incredibly grueling procedure; my mother had her stomach, gallbladder, spleen, and six lymph nodes removed. She recovered relatively quickly, but there was another woman in the unit with her who stayed in the ICU for a long time. Her sutures simply wouldn't hold, and she had constant fluid leakage through the drains. I can't recall the exact details.
Every surgery carries risks, and one this major is no exception. Try not to let the future treatment schedule overwhelm you right now; the priority is simply getting him through this recovery phase. Chemotherapy comes after he finds his footing again. By the time my mother started chemo, she had already regained her appetite and was feeling much better. Just stay on top of everything and keep pressing the surgeon for answers. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to send me a private message—my mother fought this exact same battle. Hang in there. Wishing you both strength.

It’s honestly pretty tough to give any kind of definitive advice over the internet when things are this sensitive, you know? At the end of the day, you just have to trust that the doctors looking after him really have the best possible handle on his actual condition.
I should also mention that with diagnoses like this, even if the surgeries and treatments were performed perfectly, there's always a real, lingering possibility that things might take a turn for the worse... it's just the reality of it.
But, based on just a few things I’ve picked up from reading through everything:
1. I'm wondering why there isn't a nasogastric tube, or since he had a total gastrectomy, maybe a nasoduodenal tube? When you deal with abdominal surgeries where gut motility is often messed up and you're seeing vomiting or just general uncertainty in the abdomen, a nasogastric tube and some downtime are absolutely essential!
2. They really need to check the status of that esophagus-duodenum anastomosis. They should either run another pass with X-ray contrast or do an endoscopy using a fiberoptic scope to actually see if there are any dehiscences occurring.
3. Since he can't handle enteral nutrition—whether by mouth or via a tube—he definitely needs parenteral nutrition. We aren't talking about some basic 5% or 10% glucose solution here... we mean specialized parenteral formulas like Aminomix, Kabiven (from Fresenius), or Oliclinomel N550/1000 (from Baxter), paired with lipid emulsions like Intralipid or something similar... all carefully measured and tailored specifically to him.
3. That "neck catheter" you mentioned is most likely a central venous catheter placed in the internal jugular vein. Fifteen days isn't necessarily a breaking point for how long one can stay in, but in these kinds of uncertain situations, I'd personally pull the current one out and make sure a new one is placed somewhere else, like a subclavian catheter or a PICC line through the basilic vein.
4. If he isn't in the JIL and is instead staying on the abdominal surgery ward, I'd push hard for a solid hemodynamic assessment (checking CVP levels and systemic blood pressure) along with a metabolic checkup (arterial blood gas analysis + electrolytes, daily K, Na, glucose... etc.) and proper rehydration. In my experience, these kinds of toxic patients staying on general wards are almost always more or less dehydrated, which is never a good thing...
4. Some sort of urinary tract infection doesn't seem like the main priority given his current state.
5. It might not be the case, but... that description of sudden pain on the left side of his body always makes me think it's a good idea to check an EKG and cardiac enzymes (CK, CKMB, troponin) just to rule out a cardiac event like an infarct or unstable angina, or maybe even some kind of thromboembolism... considering how massive the surgery was, you really shouldn't overlook that possibility...

Scott Allen10 said:Some kind of UTI doesn't seem relevant to the current situation.

I was basically shooting in the dark here because I saw a woman lying right next to my mom who had these exact same symptoms—minus the hiccups and shoulder pain—that David Myers4 listed for his father. Even though we’re talking about completely different diseases and procedures, the symptoms were a mirror image. They messed around for a week until the woman started choking and gasping for air. Apparently, she ended up with a pulmonary embolism on top of falling into toxic shock caused by E. coli. Whether those two things were linked is anyone's guess, but to me, it felt like they couldn't see the forest for the trees. She ended up in the ICU, and we never even found out if she pulled through. This lady—who, ironically, was a retired anesthesiologist—was on a catheter and only putting out about half a liter of orange fluid a day. Meanwhile, I was by my mother's side non-stop, keeping her hydrated with parsley tea, and she was passing over 2 liters a day. I was doing all of that specifically because I knew an undetected UTI could delay the cancer treatment, which was absolutely critical to start immediately.

Whatever the case, I just hope they get things sorted in time so the patient can actually start their cancer treatment.

@Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright

I'm definitely not trying to start an argument with you here, honestly... I really do value what everyone has to say. My comment wasn't even meant as a direct jab at you, it was just my own little take on things based on what the original poster mentioned in their post.🙂

A high fever can be a sign of an infection, which seems most likely here, though it could also stem from paraneoplastic syndrome or another underlying condition; anyone can deal with multiple health issues at once. I suspect they didn't run a full cardiac workup—like an EKG and enzyme tests—immediately when the pain started, but if they haven't, you should definitely insist on it. Even if it's too late for fibrinolytics and anticoagulants are risky now, you need that data to rule out arrhythmias. If it turns out to be paraneoplastic syndrome, then further investigation is required. Following surgery, your father is certainly immunocompromised to some degree, making him more susceptible to microbes that wouldn't normally bother him. What did the pH levels show? What was the pathologist's report? Personally, a fever that high points me toward a bacterial infection. And the decision to remove the tube seems odd to me... If he is hemodynamically unstable, you really must push for an ICU bed. The unit might be crowded, but if the ward lacks monitoring capabilities—which is often the case—he belongs in the ICU. They also need to check all catheter sites and take swabs for microbiology. It could very well be MRSA.
I apologize if we are using too much medical jargon; please let us know if anything is unclear, and we will try our best to explain.

Scott Allen10 said:@Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright

Look, I’m definitely not trying to call you wrong here... honestly, I respect everyone's take on this. My comment wasn't meant as a direct rebuttal to you, but more like a side note tied back to what the original poster brought up in the first place.🙂

I didn't take it that way either; I was just clarifying my reasoning. It didn't feel right to dump everything out in my very first post, and I was genuinely curious to see what those of you with actual expertise had to say about it.🙂

Angela Wright said:I didn't mean anything by it, I was just trying to explain my reasoning for posting that in the first place, you know? It didn't feel quite right to dump everything out there in one go right at the start, and honestly, I was just really curious to hear what you all experts think about the whole situation.🙂

Alright, sounds like a plan... everything's looking good on my end!

When it comes to hospital infections, let’s be real—they’re just part of the territory. It’s not even that our hospitals are doing a bad job, though I wouldn't call them exactly world-class either; it’s just that infections are an unavoidable reality in a clinical setting, especially when you're dealing with heavy-duty areas like abdominal surgery. Even places like Houston or New York City haven't managed to wipe them out entirely, so it's pretty unrealistic to expect us to have zero issues no matter how hard everyone tries.
Every single infection is basically just looking for an opening in a body that’s already struggling due to some surgery or underlying illness. When you're dealing with hospital-acquired infections, I honestly think the most important thing is getting a solid assessment first—you really shouldn't be rushing to throw antibiotics at the problem, especially those heavy-duty broad-spectrum ones like Meropenem, Tazobactam, or Amikacin. If you start handing out antibiotics non-selectively to patients who are already vulnerable, you end up wiping out almost all their healthy bacterial flora, which just clears the path for things like MRSA, VRE, or fungi like Candida to take over since the meds won't touch them. And let me tell you, an MRSA infection or a case of candidemia can turn into sepsis so fast it'll make your head spin, moving straight into septic shock before you even realize what hit you. Thankfully, there is a way through it if you use Vancomycin or Linezolid for the MRSA, or Fluconazole and Cancidas for the fungi, provided you keep up with proper hydration, get their metabolic balance back on track, and stay on top of pain relief and fever management.
Just wanted to jump in here and point out that there’s a massive difference between just talking about sepsis and dealing with septic or toxic shock. We're talking about a whole different level of emergency when it comes to shock—it's a critical situation where you really can't do anything short of having a top-tier ICU team on the case.
So, basically...
Sepsis is just one hell of a beast, man... honestly, it’s enough to make you lose sleep thinking about how quickly things can spiral out of control.
You know, I was thinking about how people always lump septic shock and toxic shock together like they're the same thing, but honestly, they’re worlds apart when you really dig into it.

@Angela Wright/">@@Angela Wright... oh man, my bad, please don't be mad at me! I just wanted to share a bit of what I've seen regarding urinary tract infections caused by staph a.

Honestly, finding out it's staph aureus doesn't change much for us when it comes to treatment protocols. In a hospital setting—even if we're seeing MRSA in a urine sample—we rarely jump straight to antibiotics for that. A UTI is way more of a headache when you're dealing with other bugs, like those stubborn, resistant strains of E. coli or Serratia.🙂

David Myers4, do you have a moment to chat via PM?
Hang in there!

Let's quickly clear up the difference between sepsis and septic shock when we bring them up: sepsis refers to bacteria being present in the bloodstream along with signs of systemic inflammation, whereas septic shock is the final stage, where all of that leads to a total collapse of the body and signs of organ failure.
David Myers4, how is your father doing now? And what is the plan regarding any potential post-op complications?

I’ve been pretty much MIA lately. Life just got messy and I couldn't find a way out of the spiral. They finally sent Dad for a CT scan. Turns out there was a massive amount of fluid under his left rib cage, so they had to go in for a puncture. They drained almost a liter and a half. Great, I thought, at least we found what was causing the pain. Then, the next morning, they told me they found intestinal content in the fluid, so he needs surgery. They couldn't pinpoint exactly where the anastomosis is leaking. They’ve placed drains near the area of inflammation, a nasojejunal tube to drain bile and other fluids to keep the anastomosis dry, and a temporary stoma to handle his feeding. They're saying the anastomosis should close on its own since the leak is minor. He’s in Jil now, day three. No fever since the surgery, which is good. I wish he could stay longer, but I’m afraid they won't let him. Last time, it was only two days. Now we just wait for the anastomosis to heal. I don't even want to think about alternatives; I just have to hope they're right.
Thanks to everyone for the replies and the support—it really means a lot. Sometimes I check in late because there are moments when I feel like I'm drowning and I honestly don't know what to do. I don't know who to turn to, what to push for, or if I even have the right to. I'm just hoping for the best, and your advice helps more than you know.

Linda Hill29 said:I haven't been around much lately. Things just got incredibly messy and I honestly couldn't pull myself out of the despair for a second. They finally sent my dad for a CT scan, and turns out there was a massive amount of fluid sitting right under his left rib cage, so they had to go in for a puncture. They drained almost a liter and a half of fluid. I thought, great, finally we found the reason he’s in so much pain. Then, the next morning, they tell me they found intestinal contents in the fluid, so now he's headed for surgery. They couldn't pinpoint exactly where the anastomosis is leaking. They've put in drains near that localized inflammation area, a nasojejunal tube that's basically acting as a drain for bile and other stuff to keep the anastomosis dry, and a temporary stoma to handle his feeding. The doctors are saying the anastomosis should seal itself since the leak is minor. He's in Jil right now, day three. No fever at all since the surgery, which is good. I wish he could stay there longer, but I'm terrified they'll push to discharge him soon. Last time, he was out after only two days. Now we're just playing the waiting game for that connection to heal. I don't even want to think about any other options; I just have to pray they're right.
Thanks to everyone for the replies and the support, it really means the world. Sometimes I disappear because in those moments I feel like I'm drowning and I don't even know what to do with myself. I don't know who to turn to, what to fight for, or if I even have the right to insist on anything. I'm just hoping for the best, and honestly, all your advice helps me more than you know.

I've been reading through everything here... unfortunately, my own father passed away from stomach cancer a few years back. His surgery went perfectly and he was discharged for home care after five days, and everything seemed fine for about three months. He recovered well initially, but then metastases hit his liver and spread via lymphoma, which ended up being the end of the road. Usually, stomach cancer tends to migrate to the liver later on. Mind you, my dad was quite a bit older than yours (he was 68). Watch out for pain in the liver area and yellowing of the skin or eyes... seriously, if you notice those symptoms, it's a massive RED FLAG!!!
I don't mean to freak you out, but you know how heavy this situation is. I'm not sure if they told you that they usually consider someone "cured" if they make it five to seven years post-op.

I sent you a private message, so please reach out if there is anything at all you need. Recovering from that second surgery—especially waiting for that wound site to finally close up—is no small feat. To give you some perspective, my husband ended up in the hospital for three weeks after a similar situation. Of course, everything depends on how large the opening is and how fast someone heals, which is always different for everyone.
In just two weeks, it will be exactly one year since my husband came home from the hospital. Back in December, we hit a series of milestones: the anniversary of his diagnosis (Dec 12th), his admission (Dec 13th), the surgeries to remove the cancer (Dec 14th), and then the follow-up procedures for complications caused by the wound opening up (Dec 21st). All things considered, my husband (who is 41) is doing quite well, especially over this last month. Just speaking plainly, I think the wound opening was a bit tougher for him because he’s only got about a third of his stomach left. With all that fluid leaking into his abdomen, you had stomach acid in the mix too, which is nasty stuff given that pH level of 2. He recovered, and I truly believe your father will too. Honestly, I would really love to hear from you, mostly because I know exactly what you're going through right now. Even if I can't change the circumstances, I can certainly offer some advice or a heads-up on what to expect with the next steps of treatment. Also, please don't worry about him being discharged from Jil prematurely due to bed shortages or anything like that; he'll stay there as long as he needs to. Don't waste your energy worrying about that right now—the situation is heavy enough without adding those fears to the pile.
Hang in there!
Best wishes!

I’m dropping a potential remedy here—the name is Alfons Ven... just type that into Google and see what comes up... pull up his page and go from there. I'll leave the rest of the legwork to you.