@klsmidwestmom, oh my. My mind starts racing just reading your post. I can see that you are wearing the weight of the world on your shoulders. Breathe ... in ... out ...
If we were sitting together rather than writing on this forum, the first thing I would do is to make you a nice cup of tea, get us comfortable on the patio furniture in the garden and take a minute to watch the butterfly flitting from flower to flower.

Now let's take one step at a time. Your doctors have found something that needs further investigation. Great! This is a good thing that it was detected and they're on top of it.

@riflemanz64 is right that you will be given comfortable sedatives first to relax and then to put you out so you won't feel a thing and your gag reflex won't be an issue.

You can get through this and you will. You have too many people who love you and who you want to care for and love back to not go through with the endoscopy. This is the step to take to stay healthy.

Don't put the cart before the horse as they say. I know you want to know more about symptoms people experience before being diagnosed with esophageal cancer, but it's too early to be thinking about that just yet. The endoscopy is just checking things out. It could be food, inflammation or something completely benign. IF it's not, you'll cross that bridge when it's time.

I know your anxiety is real. My words are easier for me to write than for you to do. I get that. But I'm here and so are many other members like @gingerw @loribmt @survivorsuz and others who have been there. We get it.

Now, would you like another cup of tea?