osophagus cancer diagnosis

Hi Rayb, good to hear you are ok. My husband is due to have his third EOX cycle next week (delayed a week due to unpleasant tummy side effects) his appetite came back slowly this week during the break, and he is managing to get some soft foods down, we actually had shepherds pie dinner together last  night woop woop! 

I love hearing everyones updates, this is a difficult time for everyone, more so for cancer sufferers and its good to talk, and be in it together. Take care everyone. 

Good to see you looking well Douglas  

my husband has had a weeks break from his chemo meds, and is already feeling more energy, more appetite and this has inspired us that he will only feel so awful during treatment but that at the end he will hopefully recover well, as you are. 
 

Update from the front line!
hi all, 

Went to see oncology today for next phase. Told us that he is disease free yay,pathology and response to chemo was all brilliant. BUT, there is always one!. They have said that standard treatment is now to give 4 more FLOT. The reason being that some of the clever little f**kers maybe hiding somewhere or are so small that they are undetectable, so just in case they have plans of setting up home they nuke them.

We were expecting it, so not a shock, but we are trying to get our head around that this is actually good news!
He is quite 'upset' about going through another 4. I really get what he means. It will soak in for sure.

Hospital described it as a standard offer and belt n braces.

So good, but we feel a little deflated 

OMG Ray, 

I was just thinking about you ! I was thinking about your op and birthday!!! Don't worry though, not a pervo/stalker!!! I was coming on to post to you and there you were.
 

Anyhows- what to take in?. He took in a book, pants n t- shirts- that was it. - he was in a gown for 3 days.Small toilet bag. and essential ear plugs- quite noisy in there.TBH he had no time to do much. Between post op physio's getting him up & walking the ward,the next day and everyday after. He slept a lot. He also chatted with the blokes in the ward, who were all having the same op. I did take him a paper in everyday and a latte after day 3. They chucked him out on day 7! Probably on the early side as it was xmas eve! Your phone, charger and headphones= essential. We also did Skype calls for kid purposes as only one visitor allowed.

No change in voice, but an annoying cough. Which improves hugely with his chemo Dex.

He had a great histology and is now doing the post op chemo. Which of course is great fun.....  not. He is even almost mastering the post op eating- he's managed curry, pie n mash, gravy dinners etc. At the start is was all mush, but by week 6 he was on everything. He gets dumping ( what a surprise), but I really getting to grips with it.

So , good luck Ray and a 'happy' birthday. Getting rid of the ****** will be the best present.
 

Thank you for your comments and advice, will keep you informed of my progress.

Hi Ray, just wondering how you are getting on? Hopefully you are recovering well. 

Hi Rivers, 

Is this your 3rd monitoring scope? , do they do. CT as part of that monitoring. Of course you're scared and very worried. Completely human reaction, I never say 'don't worry' to people as it about as useful a comment as a chocolate fire guard, along with 'coping' and 'strong' what on earth do they mean.....lol. 

During this whole affair, I found the only thing that help at all is distraction. Doing something, anything to interrupt that constant stream of (understandable) thoughts.

i will be a wreck once we are done with treatment for the 'monitoring' appointments every 3 months aarrrgg. Wondering if any little cells hiding under little toe are moving to set up home.

But what else can we do, but keeping plodding on .