I suppose I shouldn't weigh in here, since we've had many phone chats in addition to the many EC Zoom calls of ours that you've popped in on. Plus... I'm thinking I've been fairly blunt with you in my counsel.

Is there a reason I would not currently consider esophagectomy if I were in your shoes? Yes... maybe for two reasons. One... if I had such a tremendous response to my treatments (considered a CPR) that nothing can be seen inside me, anywhere. In that case I might choose to roll the dice and just stay monitored (even though a tumor board might still recommend esophagectomy). The second reason, is the other end of the spectrum. If my treatment response was minimal... my oncologist was not to thrilled with it, some external lymphs are still lighting up and my solid tumor shrunk very little... and i was still deemed surgery-eligible by the tumor board... then I might forgo surgery as well. More true if I was in my late 70s, which you are not!

As I've told you, I'm not qualified to weigh in on your family situation... I've got my own 4 adult children dealing with their own screwed up lives. From Two and a half Men... Evelyn said "God gives us children so death won't come as such a disappointment!"

Also... I know I've steered you towards one of the world's best cardiothoracic surgeons there is... Dr Shanda Blackmon. While she did not do my esophagectomy, I can honestly say I would have loved it if she had! And that's a big thing for me to say since I'm a stage 3 (T3N1M0) EC patient who is now 1 month shy of being 5 years post-op and doing well... basically back to normal. That's how highly I regard Dr Blackmon... her love of her patient, in their post-op journey... well... she is like no other. I don't know how she finds the time. And what shocks me even more... I sent you to her (she barely even knows me)... and now she has your surgery scheduled!! I still don't believe it!

So... stop second guessing yourself... you're going to do well. And I don't mean to diminish what a pain-in-the-ass the post-op journey is. But I don't want any of us to die from esophageal cancer either. This surgery, if the proper response from your chemoradiation treatments has been seen, gives you your best shot a good rest-of-your- life.

You know where I am.

Gary