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Turning point good or bad
This whole journey has been so difficult and mind blowing... My dad was Diagnosed with stomach cancer in feb 2009, by way of a blood clot in his left calf. He's been progressing along where we thought things were getting better, he was told he had stomach cancer and the kidney was affected... Affected that's all we were…
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update on treatment
Hello everyone- We (it is always we) are now receiving chemo/radiation before surgery. Our plans are to have the surgery at Pittsburgh once pre-treatment complete. We are one week into the radiation and completed the chemo cisplatinum/5FU for five days and to be repeated again week 5. Has anyone else following this…
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ArchTB...Thinking and Praying for you tomorrow!!!
Tom and Olya, May 17th...the day of Tom's MIE... You are in my thoughts and prayers tonight as I get ready for bed. I pray that God stands beside you and holds your hand tonight and takes away any of the scary thoughts you might be having. I pray that Tom's surgery tomorrow goes smoothly and is successful. And for you Olya…
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Diagnosed with Stage IV yesterday: advice needed
Hi there, My name is Don and I am a young 63 year old man who was just diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer yesterday. The cancer has metastasized to me liver and I have some shadows on my lungs. My symptoms started 6 weeks ago and I have lost 25 pounds (some of which I needed to anyway). I am waiting to get an…
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Is this normal? (chemo question)
My dad just started his six weeks of chemo and radiation Monday (May 9th). If the tumor responds, he will be able to have surgery in the near future. We all had high hopes that he would be one of the lucky ones who didn't experience the typical side effects, since he is so fit and has no other medical conditions. The first…
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Help in dying husband.
Hello, I am new here. I am my husbands caregiver and he has esophageal cancer. He has been given about a month. We have been through every treatment possible and we are at the end. No more treatments. We would have been married 30 years in September, we married early and he is only 55. We have one son that is 19. This has…
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Harmon Killebrew Moving to Hospice Care
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-twins-killebrew Harmon Killebrew is losing his fight with cancer and he is being moved to a hospice care facility. Jonathan
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Hard time eating
I was diagnosed with esophegual cancer in Jan and had 5 chemo treatments and 25 radiation treatments in Marchand early April. My question is it has been over 3 weeks since my last radiation treatment and it is getting more difficult to eat every day. It feels like something is stuck right where the esophegy meets the…
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Surgery is almost here!
Wow, it's been a while since I've had much time lately so this is the first time i've actually been able to get updated on everyone. I'm so sorry to hear about all of the newly diagnosed. Loretta and William, just wanted to tell you my grandpa will bring up things that you said in your conversation and I know that it has…
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MIE date confirmed - May 17th
Hi, It's been a while since I've been to this site. Lot's of new names, and sadly lot's of new diagnosis. I am wishing everyone to stay strong and keep on fighting! You are not alone. Tom's surgery has been confirmed. Next Tuesday, May 17, he will have a "robotic" MIE at MSKCC ("In this case, I'd like to talk to the…
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Doctors and reflux
My daughter has acid reflux often. She talked to her doctor about it and my EC. She told the dr/ she took OTC Prilosec and Zantac. The Doctor asked if it helped. My daughter said, most of the time. She said there was nothing to worry about unless her food stuck when swallowing.WHAT??????? I never experienced the acid…
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Pain managment after surgery
I am scheduled for surgery monday morning and i have been given the option of the IV drip button or the epidural for pain. Does anybody have any advice on which one to use. I will be having the MIE surgery.
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Coronary Stents, Blood Thinners and Esophageal Cancer Surgery
I was diagnosed with EC on 04/07 and have made a couple of posts. I appreciate the support and prayers of everyone on this site. A special thanks to William who advised me of the MIE surgery. To summarize, after all the tests, PET/CT/EUS I have diagnosed as Stage II (T3N0M0) with radiation and chemo starting within the…
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Hello from Jim and Linda
It has been a while since I posted. I read the posts daily and pray for each and everyone. Jim continues to heal after his MIE in January. He is gaining strength and will have good days and bad. I am gathering documentation to get him into the Clincal trial at University of Washington in Seattle. His case will be presented…
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Update on visit to the Oncologist
Hi all Just wanted to update you all on Marks visit to the Oncologist, I get so full of hope when we go well its more like hope and despair all kind of mixed up the hope is that they will say actually we have made a mistake and Mark is not Stage iv, and the despair is that actually Mark is definately Stage iv. We had a…
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Have questions about Dad-going on 4 weeks post chemo/radiation
Hi all My Dad was diagnosed with EC in November. Had a endo US and I don't have the staging info in front of me at the moment. It is advanced and I can post specifics if important. He had 7 weeks of 5 day per week radiation and would have had the same of chemo but his port got infected so he missed 2 weeks. He has…
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Cancer has metastasized
Well it's official, Derek's Cancer has metastasized into several areas of his body. So we have decided not to continue with the chemo here in Canada, but try an alternative treatment at the CHIPSA Hospital in Mexico. The Coley's looks really promising. I would like to know if anyelse has tried this treatment.
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John gift to his Mom
John is still here on this earth. We have been given another bonus week. Many precious times together we managed to stick into another 7 days. We don't see John hanging on thru the day. Right now my son and I and of course John is watching In Harms Way for the second time this morning. One of his favorite movies. It has…
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Scan results
What a week we have had! On Tuesday we traveled to MDAnderson for CT scan, x- ray and lab work. On Thursday results were given. The words we had been waiting to hear were said. Many of the lymph nodes are now "resolved", as well as sites in the bones that previously had shown slight metastasis. No metastatic disease was…
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Questions
My ex-husband and father of my two children was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a few days before Christmas. I found out that he had a tumor on his esophagus in mid-December. On the 22nd of December, we were informed that it was malignant. A few weeks later, following many tests, including a PET Scan, it was discovered…
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Endoscopic esophageal surgery - post surgery experience
I have completed chemoradiation and am considering endoscopic surgery. I would appreciate hearing from people who have had this surgery. What was recovery like? Has it changed the quality of your life? Thanks for whatever you can share with me? Jennifer
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When I see Mom
It's been a while since I've posted a note here...but looking for some desperately needed advice again. Mom was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer in the beginning of March (Stage II). Unfortunately, because I live over 1/2-way across the country, the only support I have been able to give is over the phone and with a card…
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Curtis's Cancer
Since I last was on Curtis was in the hospital because of his low blood counts. Everything got better and they took him off of chemo for a week. So I took him to Vegas and we had a blast! We got back on Saturday and he started chemo again on Monday. Now he again feels bad and I worry so much. He weight this time has slowly…
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Mets to the peritoneum
Hello all: I'd like to be in contact with someone who is in a similar situation.Here is the situation: Caregiver for my husband who is 47,diagnosed 03/10 with EC adenocarcinoma GEJ first staged III,radio and chemo combination,then aborted esophagectomy when peritoneal carcinamatosis was spotted during surgery. The best…
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EC Awareness
With April being EC Awareness month I had written to our local newspaper, tv stations, and had no response. Nebraska's Governor Heineman did sign a proclamation and we were so happy for that. I had given our local GI doctor some of the items from the ECAN kit that I received. I had been feeling kind of down that I should…
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Dizzyness
I was stage III with 28 days of radiation and 2 rounds of chemo (Cisplatin & 5FU). On December 14th I had MIE surgery and recently completed my 3 month cat scan and all looks good. Besides the normal effects, I have had ongoing random periods where I get dizzy. This started during chemo and still has not gone away. has…
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My dad's surgery on Monday, 4/25 @ Mayo Clinic - UPDATED 5/2
Last week we went to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) to seek a 2nd surgical opinion for my dad. (Brief history: Dx’d Dec 15th Stage 3B. His post chemo/rad scans showed “no change” in the tumor, and slight growth in the one, regional, lymph node that was involved. Because he did not have a good response to his treatment, and…
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How much Chemo
Does anyone have any information that would indicate the correct number of chemo rounds for T3N1M0. It seems that the "traditional" number is 6 but are that many necessary? I am wondering this because it seems that the less one does the better chance of reducing damage to other organs. I have heard sooo many stories of…
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Just wanted to say hello
Hi to all of you. Many of you do not know me and I sure don't know alot of you. All new names on this board it seems. Since Vince's passing on Feb 23rd I haven't written much or contributed. I am sorry for this. Its very hard when you lose a spouse and I just feel so empty at times. I have a joined a wonderful group called…
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The gates of heaven are opening for John
If anyone is looking for God or his angels they are surrounding our home waiting to welcome John into heaven. It looks like John has begun his final step of this journey. There were times we thought of it as hell but now when we look back we don't. God gave me and all who came in contact with John during his lifetime a…