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Jeff in hospital
Hi friends, Asking for some prayers and positive thoughts tonight for Jeff. Yesterday we went to the ER because he had the chills. By the time he got to the hospital his fever was 102. They took blood and he is neutropenic, so he was admitted and now we are basically in quarantine to prevent infections. We are still…
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Proton Therapy
Hi I'm trying to understand all the different possible options out there so that when we go to M D Anderson I can ask the right questions and understand (as far as possible) the responses. Has anyone here had proton therapy rather than regular radiation? I have been reading about it and it sounds like a good option for…
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Live from the Holy Land
I made it to Israel and am in the Holy Land. I am praying for everyone on this forum everywhere I go! I am putting special prayers for the EC family in the Wailing Wall too. Love and hugs to everyone! Ginny
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We have M D Anderson appt, plus have questions about some things (SUV in PET scan)
We now have appointment scheduled for M D Anderson next week, Tuesday is the first one we know for sure about. They say he may have between 3-5 days of tests. They have scheduled another CT scan. He had one done here 4 weeks ago. Is it normal to do another one at a new hospital? Will insurance pay for it (Bill is retired…
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EOX chemo treatment?
I’m curious to know if anyone has had experience with the chemo EOX? I had a recurrence nine months post MIE in the right paratracheal lymph node (near the clavicle). After much debate over what was the best way to treat the recurrence we settled on surgically removing the node and following up with six rounds of EOX. The…
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Surgery First?
Good afternoon everyone. The medical oncologist from UofM looked at Don's information today and called to say that Don could go right to the thoracic surgeon. We are thinking this is good news - that perhaps he won't need radiation or chemo prior to surgery. Is this possible? Bracing for our first big snow here in…
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Have Hiatial Hernia/Gerd/Poor Esophageal Motility
Hey Everyone, I have followed this website for a while now as I have been struggling with some horrible symptoms for a while now. I will sum it all up, and ask for your opinions please! I am a 33 year old Fireman, so that in itself poses some cancer risk. I have been diagnosed with GERD and struggle even with my…
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GRATEFFUL to be awake and alive another day AND that is allot...
Never been SO grateful that it's November 29th (FYI-there is Nothing special about today's date, it's the fact of being alive. Could be Dec 4th!). It's cool outside, sun is coming up behind a cloudy looking morning. I built a fire, in Florida! Silly but great fun. I am so damn grateful to be alive and every day I wake…
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WE made it to December. Like thinking will I see 30 as a kid......
Happy December. The birth month of our Lord and Savior. Regardless of WHAT we believe (if anything), We are HERE. Back in June, I REALLY started the 'will we see Christmas, Brithdays, Spring, etc, etc..... YOU? We are ALL here together and by God may get a Christmas together.....deep breath...hold...
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Update to Brian's fluid aspiration from the liver capsule
Hello everyone, Firstly let me thank you all for prayers, kind thoughts and well wishes. I am so pleased and humbled to have found such lovely new, but unknown friends. As you know we have been dealing with this accumulation of fluid in the liver capsule for some time now. It was first noticed in a CT scan on Oct 17 and…
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Coughing - and now open incision
I am back in NH and not with my dad anymore. :( Thankfully my very capable mom is doing great at all she can do. A little background: Dad's Ivor Lewis Surgery was done robotically in the Moffit Center - Tampa on 10/07/11. The feeding tube was removed about 10 days after surgery but the incision took FOREVER, well maybe…
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Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Improves Survival in Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer
FYI I came across this information today. See link http://www.ascopost.com/articles/october-2010/neoadjuvant-chemoradiation-improves-survival-in-patients-with-advanced-esophageal-cancer.aspx Sal
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Polyp
I had a follow up endoscopy yesterday. While I don't have the biopsy results yet, the photo and surgeons report said there is evidence of a "occgastric polyp". Has anyone ever had one of them come up? Danielle
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Atlanta EC Support Group Lunch - Reminder
Late November and December are such busy times for most of us that I decided to schedule a single EC Lunch for the holiday months. The December lunch for the Atlanta EC support group will be held on Saturday, December 3rd. We'll gather at La Madeleine's at Perimeter Center West at 11 AM. I know 11 is a bit early for lunch,…
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Surgery or not
My X's wife was diagnosed about 2 months ago with Stage III EC. She has gone through chemo & radiation & upon conclusion, the doctors were VERY pleased with her progress. Surgery was scheduled for yesterday but postponed as she has lost too much weight, can't keep food down, has no appetite. Upon consulting with their…
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Furnished apartments near M D Anderson
Our plan when we go for tests is to stay either with friends or at the hotel that is linked to M D Anderson (one would be cheaper plus the support would be nice, but the other may be more convenient if there is a lot of testing and down time in between - being able to walk back across the walkway to the hotel sounds…
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When to say ok it's enough
I'm from the Midwest, NW IN, right outside of Chicago. We only get Chicago news, we are on Chicago time. Today the city said good bye to Maggie Daley, former first lady of Chicago for 22 years. For 9 years she gallantly battled metasized breast cancer. She had all the cancer treaments, surgeries. It was all done at…
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Whoa! So much to catch up on...
Hey to all! Just thought I would pop in here and let all of you know how very sorry I am that I have not been on in such a while. With the move, unpacking, getting settled, Eric's meds, Hopsice, Family, Friends, and everything else, I have just been too exhausted to read or post. Lame I know. After the day is through, I…
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Gone but I'll be back!
Hard as it is to leave mom, I am off to Israel tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. I spent a good portion of the day on the phone with pharmacy and docs getting things organized and arranged. Mom is feeling my departure and is a bit apprehensive, but my brother is quite capable of helping as is her cousin who is with her 24/7. Hugs and…
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Thanks for the prayers and concern
I think I have mentioned a few times that my husband is an amazing man, and he continues to be. The bleeding he experienced last Friday stopped and his right arm and leg have strengthened to where he is almost walking on his own. One of my concerns is that his feet have started to swell, but none of the doctors have given…
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I am so sick of waiting
Last October we saw that the tumour markers appeared to be rising after 6 free years. So we waited 3 months for the next check and then the one after. Then we waited for CT results, PET results, oncology appointments, blood tests, laparoscopy surgery, liver surgeon appointments, chemo to start, chemo to stop, liver fluid…
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New here and scared to death.
Hi all.. I have reading the discussions and first let me say I am soo sorry that everyone has to deal with the damn cancer either persoanally or if they are dealing with a loved one. This truly sucks to put it bluntly. My father is 74 and was was having problems swallowing. He was rushed to the hospital cause a piece of…
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Treatment week...
Well, here we are...Treatmetn Week. We have Chemo Doc appointment tomorrow, then start Chemo Wednesday bright and early. Dad is doing the Platinol, Epirubicin, 5FU (6 day countinous infusion)protocol we believe based on medical oncologist meeting last week. What major symptoms should I expect this week?
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Words
Mets, Rads, 5FU, PICC, all words that were never in my vocabulary until end of September. I don't like those words. Wish I never had to know what they meant.
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Terminology question
Does anybody understand how doctors use these terms and the distinctions between them? NED- as in no evidence of disease Clean Response Remission "disease free" "cure" Just wondering if this has been clearly explained to anyone. Would appreciate some insight Cora
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So many "newbies"
Just wanted to suggest to the " newbies" to create an " About Me" page. This let's everyone know more about you without having to try to go back to all your old posts to see what your stage was, if you are caregiver or survivor, what your treatment plan is, etc. You can create this by Looking at the yellow line at the top…
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Cholesterol medications and reflux-anyone on meds prior to dx?
Just a thought............My husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and has had an an esophagectomy. I think we are all shocked at the time of diagnosis and then later are doing a lot of thinking about causes, etc. I, myself, have been diagnosed with silent reflux after waking up with a sore throat and hoarse voice…
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Post op 4 months followup
Pet/ct scans WAS all clear. Doctor wants to see me in February. What a nice thing it was to add this to my list this pass Thanksgiving. GOD IS GREAT....
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MIE surgeon at M D Anderson
I have read so many wonderful reports here about the MIE surgeon at Pittsburgh. Does anyone have experience with a MIE surgeon at M D Anderson? Freida
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Serious Cough, Seriously Malnourished
The last couple of weeks have been rough with my dad to say the least. Treatments are starting to catch up to him and I had to have him transported to the ER last weekend because he was so fatigued. He now weighs under 100 lbs. His blood work was fine and so they gave him 2 bags of fluids and they discharged him. The last…