1. < Esophageal Cancer

Just diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Posted by knite122 @knite122, Apr 7, 2023

Hello group, I was just diagnosed with esophageal cancer a few days ago. My Gastro Dr. called me a few days after my Upper Endoscopy to say the Pathologist confirmed the cancer. For the last five years I've gone from Barretts esophagus to low grade dysplasia, to high grade dysplasia. The Dr. used Radial abrasion to burn it out twice and liquid nitrogen the third time, each time it came back. Now its cancer and I've been told to see a Thoracic Surgeon. I have no idea what to expect until I see him and was hoping someone can give me an idea. Tho good is obvious, but what will the bad be? Thanks in advance.

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Mentor
Don Higgins, Volunteer Mentor | @dsh33782 | May 17, 2023
In reply to @bmccord44 "I have a question my dad is going through this situation where he might have a..." + (show)
@bmccord44

I have a question my dad is going through this situation where he might have a Soffa go cancer but he doesn’t know until the 23rd. It’s been like a long process but he cannot eat or keep anything down do you are you the same way and he’s lost a dramatic amount of weight.

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When I was first diagnosed with esophageal cancer, I was constantly coughing and could not swallow whole food. I ended up with a feeding tube and that was how I got nurshment for several months until chemo and radiation shrunk the cancerous tumor and I could start eating whole food again. I have now finished treatment and the tumorand the feeding tube are gone.

REPLY
1 reply
bmccord44 | @bmccord44 | May 17, 2023
In reply to @dsh33782 "When I was first diagnosed with esophageal cancer, I was constantly coughing and could not swallow..." + (show)
@dsh33782

When I was first diagnosed with esophageal cancer, I was constantly coughing and could not swallow whole food. I ended up with a feeding tube and that was how I got nurshment for several months until chemo and radiation shrunk the cancerous tumor and I could start eating whole food again. I have now finished treatment and the tumorand the feeding tube are gone.

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Well he sees a cancer doctor on the 23rd they have been giving him the run around and really hasn’t said much just that they found a spec of cancer in his esophagus but my dad can’t eat solid food or even liquids right now his weight is around 135 so I’m really worried

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mzack | @mzack | May 20, 2023
In reply to @mzack "Have you had cryo ablation before or anyone you might know. ? By the way my..." + (show)
@mzack

Have you had cryo ablation before or anyone you might know. ?
By the way my doctor keep telling me I don’t have narrowing or any kind of strictures . But my nerve pain or whatever pain it is so uncomfortable!!

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Any update??

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1 reply
bmccord44 | @bmccord44 | May 21, 2023
In reply to @mzack "Any update??" + (show)
@mzack

Any update??

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No not yet he goes Tuesday

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knite122 | @knite122 | May 26, 2023

Hello group, I hope everyone is doing well and will enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend. I had the privilege of talking to a woman a few days ago who had the same esophageal cancer I do, in the same place and her surgeon was the surgeon I’ll have.
Ass you can guess, I had a lot of questions for her which she gladly answered. After talking for over an hour, I had one major concern, both having cancer where the esophagus meets the stomach the surgeon started with chemo and radiation, then surgery. Instead of taking the bottom portion of the esophagus he removed her entire esophagus. Is this standard practice and has anyone else experienced this? I meet with the oncologist and surgeon in two weeks and to say I’m pretty scared about losing my entire esophagus is putting it mildly. Thanks for any information and I hope everyone has a safe weekend.

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1 reply
dave640 | @dave640 | May 27, 2023
In reply to @knite122 "Hello group, I hope everyone is doing well and will enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend. I..." + (show)
@knite122

Hello group, I hope everyone is doing well and will enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend. I had the privilege of talking to a woman a few days ago who had the same esophageal cancer I do, in the same place and her surgeon was the surgeon I’ll have.
Ass you can guess, I had a lot of questions for her which she gladly answered. After talking for over an hour, I had one major concern, both having cancer where the esophagus meets the stomach the surgeon started with chemo and radiation, then surgery. Instead of taking the bottom portion of the esophagus he removed her entire esophagus. Is this standard practice and has anyone else experienced this? I meet with the oncologist and surgeon in two weeks and to say I’m pretty scared about losing my entire esophagus is putting it mildly. Thanks for any information and I hope everyone has a safe weekend.

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My wife’s tumor was in the lower portion of her esophagus. Her surgeon removed almost the entire esophagus. Surgery was minimally-invasive. Her operation was on Feb 2 of this year. She is living almost normally today.

Only serious problem she had related to her J-tube, which was incorrectly positioned inside her body and caused an infection while she was in the hospital recovering from the esophagectomy.
She and her doctor decided to go straight to oral feeding and not use the J-tube at all. That has worked fine. She eventually had the J-tube removed, never having used it again once the initial problem had been discovered and resolved.

I wouldn’t worry about how much of your esophagus they remove: the more the better, in order to reduce the chance of recurrence, I think.

You might consider talking to your surgeon about oral feeding sooner rather than later. My feeling is that that has been beneficial to my wife’s recovery and return to near normalcy.

Wish you well!

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