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Thank-you, Bill and Loretta!!
This is a HUGE thank you to Bill and Loretta (our EC Board "Marshalls") for all the time and effort that they spend on this discussion board. Two years ago, they fought hard to have this board reinstated, after the ACI elected to remove it, because Esophageal Cancer was not as "popular" (for lack of a better word), than…
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stricture after radiation for lung cancer,dialation and stint
My wife has a severe stricture(5mm) from rad to the left upper lobe for 3b squamous cell lung and aggressive dialation in progress now to open the stricture to 18 and install a stint for 12 weeks...can anyone give us advice as to the side effects of this procedure
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Managing side effects
My husband has just begun a new treatment regimen for metastatic esophageal cancer. His therapy is a combination of Erbitux and Camptosar. Has anyone had experience with these medications? I am interested in effective ways to handle possible side effects - especially the acneform rash. Thank you very much.
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Another Update
Still in the hospital, will be for at least another couple days. I got my chest tube pulled out today, so feeling much better in that regard. I have been throwing up a lot of bile though, and the reasoning behind it is that my bowels aren't functioning quite correctly yet, so the bile keeps building up in my stomach and it…
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bad news regarding my dad
I'm so shocked. As most know, my parents and I live in Maryland and I have my dad in a clinical study at the Hillman Center in Pittsburgh. So, my parents have travelled up there without me. I've had concerns regarding my dad's health, he has been so sick, not eating and hardly getting out of bed. The tumor is shrinking,…
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Sister just diagnosed/help
I really don't know where to start. Of course, this is so new to our family. Just two weeks ago, my 36 year old sister's OBGYN broke the news to my sister that they found tumors in her throat while she was under anesthesia during a hysterectomy some six weeks ago. He didn't feel she was mentally stable enough to handle the…
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PET SCAN IS GREAT, BUT NO DATE SET YET
HELLO ALL, IT WAS A LONG DAY AT HILLMAN DR.LUKETICH WAS CALLED AWAY TO DO SURGERY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF CLINIC JUST BEFORE IT WAS OUR TURN TO SEE HIM. SO WE WAITED AND WAITED AL WAS GETTING TIRED SO WE GOT HIM A BED IN THE TREATMENT ROOM. DR. LUKETICH FINALLY CAME TO SEE US AT ABOUT 2:00 WE HAD BEEN THERE SINCE ABOUT…
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Update
Just thought I'd update everyone.... I'm moving out of ICU and to a regular surgical unit floor today. The nurses in the ICU were amazing! I just had a chest x-ray done and will hopefully find out later on this morning how much longer I will need my chest tube for...we'll see how much the fluid has gone down. I am also…
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OUT OF HOSPITAL ONE MONTH YESTERDAY-HERE IS OUR UPDATE
Well, as you all know Jeff had been diagnosed with Esophogeal Cancer Stage II on April Fools day, yes I was waiting for someone to yell April Fools, it never happened. To make the long story short, we had 3 months of hard Chemo, and then on July 23, at 7:00 am we started surgery, we had a hard time 12 days in ICU, and 6…
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Update!!!!!
Hey everyone... Well, it's been a heck of a couple days! After getting to mayo, I waited for all my medical teams to put together a plan and then ended up having an abdominal scan and a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy they found such a bad blockage that my colon was about to perforate and my blood pressure dropped and…
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KITTEN HAD EMERGENCY SURGERY ON MONDAY NIGHT AT MAYO HOSPITAL
To all Kitten's online friends, I talk with her on another site, and either her or her family posted that she had emergency surgery to unblock her colon late last night. Please keep her in your prayers along with her husband and family, she is in Mayo hospital. Also remember she has already fought and survived esophogeal…
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Good Luck Donna70 and Wild Goose it will soon be over
My husband and I just wanted to wish you both good luck starting tomorrow. If I can help or you have any questions please let me know. I wish you both the best while doing the chemo/radiation treatment. GOD BLESS to you both hugs and prayers Lori aka Moe
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Dr. Luketich
I have a question...with the minimally invasive surgery, do they take the lymph nodes? I am more concerned about the nodes than I am about the esophagus...since it appears what is in the esophagus is dead, but the nodes is how everything moves throughout the rest of the body. IF our hospital doesn't do the surgery, then…
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OUR KITTEN0385 IS IN THE HOSPITAL!!!!!!!!! PLEASE SAY PRAYERS
To all our Cancer Site Friends: I just got word on another site that Kitten 0385 aka Cathy, is in the hospital at Mayo, with a Bowel Obstruction, Please say prayers for her and her husband Patrick, as a caregiver myself I know how hard this is. Cathy has been suffereing with severe belly cramps, along with being diagnosed…
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In The Hospital
Hey everyone, I just wanted to update you.... I went to our local hospital late Saturday evening thinking that my belly just needed tapped, after having it scanned, turns out I don't have fluid buildup, but I have a colon blockage that has caused my bowel to become distended, hence why I am having stomach cramping, etc.…
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Treatment Plan Set For Kickoff
Friends Sorry that I've been tardy, but my wife, Lori, had me doing the heavy lifting stuff trying to finalize the move-in process. I get pretty tired early on in this game. I'll start radiation and chemo this coming Tuesday. I'll be getting Oxaliplatin and Flourouracil (5-FU) as the chemo. I have sighting targets on my…
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New plan for Al
Hi everyone, I have some good news. When we got to Hillman for Al's appt. on Wed. the Doc said that he didn't want to do the 2 more chemo treatments, needless to say I wanted to know why. He told us that he may not NEED them that he wants to do a PET scan first and then meet with Dr. Luketich because he thinks that we may…
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how big radiation area????
Hi, Just went to get my final scanning for the radiation treatments. Last week I got india ink marks and thought that was my tattoos. Today, they explained that the dr takes my cat scan from last week and works with the x-rays they take today. Then a tech comes in and starts drawing on my chest--- a lot!! Two big boxes…
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staying postive just got harder to do
This will be my third post here, All the kinds words were a encourgement, Today we went to doctor's to see what option's my husband had left to do. As his esophageal cancer is now t4,n1,m1 with no option of surgery as his cancer has spead. docter's had told him that his only options was more chemo. Husband had deceided…
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NO RADIATION - HE IS A WALKING MIRACLE GOD ANSWERED PRAYERS!!!!
Well,we went to the doctor today and the radiation doctor said that Jeff is a walking miracle and that they don't ever get patients that have 100% cancer free, after this kind of surgery. He explained all options to us and told us we could go for a second opinion but it was up to us. Said that he couldn't see giving…
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change of plans
Hi there. I haven't posted in a while but I thought I'd update you on what's been going on with my husband. The treatment plan was to do Cisplatin chemo two days a month and 5FU for 3 weeks and then one week off. During the week off, he was supposed to go to UCLA to do cryo therapy treatments. Well, we just got news that…
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RADIATION DOCTOR
We go to the radiation doctor tomorrow thursday to see if we have to take radiation. Please say prayers for us, we are still not threw, yet. But don't worry I have "RENTED OUT MOE"S SHOES to MUMPHY, and my BIG GIRL PANTIES, are packed away, so hopefully I won't need neither. Please says more prayers tonight and in the…
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Mouth dehydration
Hi. My primary diagnosis is Lung Cancer, but it has now metastasized to my bones and esophagus. It has created a tumor that is completely blocking my esophagus so that I am unable to swallow anything. Due to this, my mouth gets incredibly dehydrated. I suck on ice chips and hard candy, which helps, but I was wondering if…
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good news colon clear!!
Hi, Just had my prehospital colonoscopy by the same dr who found my original squamous cell and thank God and I mean literally, thank God, no biopsies needed, colon clean. boy Ron and I were so happy and so was my dr. It had lit up to the tune of 10 cms on the PET scan and so I needed that before I go in for my chemo. Did…
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WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO
Cancer is so limited It cannot criple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrale faith It cannot eat away peace It cannot kill friendship It cannot shut out memories It cannot silence courage It cannot invade the soul It cannot reduce eternal life It cannot quench the spirit It cannot lessen the power of resurrection I…
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Dr. Appt
Hi everyone, Al has his weekly appt. tomarrow Wed. Just feeling alittle antsy. I really can't wait, but he gets the same chemo as Kitten & Erika's dad. We have had such a difficult time with these treatments already & I'm afraid that he may have even more trouble with each treatment. On the other hand he needs the…
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Vocal Cord Cancer
I GOT UP ONE MORNING AND COULDN'T SPEAK A WORD I THOUGHT IT WAS MY SINUS GIVING ME TROUBLE AS ALWAYS IN THE FALL AND SPRING. SO I WAITED AND TRIED TO CLEAR IT UP AS USUAL BEFORE SEEING A DR THEY SENT ME TO A THROAT SPECIALIST AND I HAD BIOSPY LAST FRIDAY THE 28TH OF AUGUST 2009. IN THE OFFICE WHEN HE LOOKED UP MY NOSE INTO…
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Update on my dad
Things aren't so good again for my dad. He's really sick. He's having more stomach cramps, and all over body pain. The Dr. has since called my mom back and then sent me a note saying he was talking to her. I'm glad he will keep in touch that way from time to time. My dad is having stomach cramps again, vomiting and body…