New to the club, 44 y/o introduction

On my second cancer, I find that wherever your Cancer Dr can have his orders followed and insurance covers, you can choose where you want for radiation and or chemo.

Hello, When your oncology doctor and surgeon figure what treatments you’re going to have. Also talk to your local hospital you should be able to get your treatments there. Your surgery if they decide that is part of the plan. Will probably be done at Mayo. You’re going to go through a lot in the coming weeks and months. You sound pretty positive and that’s what you need a positive attitude and good support system. We are here to help support you and your family. You’ll have lots of questions and we can hopefully help you with them. Let us know what treatment and or surgery they recommend for you. Wishing you the best for this journey. Scott

You definitely can’t go wrong by choosing Mayo. Discuss it with your Oncologist and he/she can advise where the best place is to get the Chemo, and Radiation. They can also advise on the surgery, but from my experience, and if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t hesitate to go to Mayo. I had complications after my surgery and went to Mayo in Phoenix for the help I needed. Was really impressed.

Trav,

One of the reasons I went to Mayo for Radiation is to get Proton Beam versus Photon. Check with your insurance to see if you're eligible. Also, I am 3.5 hours away so we stayed up there for a month since I had daily treatment. If cost is a concern, Mayo can provide an application to stay at Hope Lodge which is a couple of blocks away. If you qualify, your stay is free You're young and strong so your outlook for treatment could be better than some others; everyone is different. Stay positive. You'll have ups and downs, but attitude, support and good care will help with the journey.

Wanted to add please don’t look at survival rates on google there’s way to much misinformation on there. Everyone is different there are so many people that live way past these supposed survival rates. Scott

Hello from Tasmania, I’m not familiar with details of your medical system so will leave it for others to comment on the best facilities and other related issues. I will add though that having confidence in the treatment team was and remains very important for me and, I would imagine, others. It was a rough ride for 3 or 4 months, particularly the radiation induced fatigue (RIF) and surgery a month or so later. RIF in the later radiotherapy sessions may make it difficult to travel long distances. Having said all that, 14 months down the track, eating well, feeling good and being alive to tell the story puts it all in perspective for me - it was nothing I couldn’t manage. Being 24 years younger than me at the time of diagnosis would probably be an advantage in tolerating treatment. The best advice I had was to get and stay as fit as possible. I wonder if excess weight and lack of fitness is a factor in some of the horror stories we read on this site. Having said that, I’m aware we all have different cancer starting points and will respond individually to treatment. Wishing you all the best - please keep us updated. Geoff

Well you have to look, it's human nature. I think the key is realizing there's not much value in it.

All I can say is go to Mayo for a consultation with those people there as they are the "very best"! I have been going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and everyone there is professional, quite educated in their field and VERY caring. I also believe that they are one of only 40 Proton Radiation treatment centers in the country which is how I was treated and it is not only the very best radiation treatment if that's what is recommended with chemo but also the safest. I would also delve into whatever they have told you so far and do some of your own research online as I did. Mayo, Anderson and Cleveland Clinics all have websites and can be a wealth of information. But I would "certainly" start with a consultation with the Doctors there who not only specialize in EC but Mayo has a record of hiring the very best. Also make sure before you go that any records, blood test and scans are forwarded to them before you go. You are much younger and I wish for you the very best. I was 75 when mine was discovered and had meetings with four different surgeons who all they wanted to do was cut into me! I opted for 6 weeks of proton radiation along with 6 weeks of chemo every Friday for 2-2-1/2 hours and told them after reading about the seriousness of the surgery and the after effects that if I at that point could get 3 more years with some "quality of life" I would go that route!! In Sept. I will be celebrating and I mean celebrating my 78th birthday and after having an EGD ay Mayo about 2 weeks ago everything is looking good and I am feeling pretty good for an old man. About to start playing golf again as well as trying out for a softball team! Stay strong and positive and if you would please keep me posted on your meetings and progress. My email is rpd2nd@aol.com and if you just want to talk you can call me at 352-320-6050.