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Anyone else have mets to muscles and bones?
My husband, Hal, 57 yr. old, began this EC journey back in November 2009. He had difficulty swallowing, had endoscopy, found tumor, spread to lymphs and biopsied discovered mets to muscles and bones (ribs, tailbone, muscles all over - legs mostly.) He began having pains in legs, pain has gotten increasingly worse over…
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Switching Med center-3 week wait..
I met with the tumor board at the med center where I had my Endoscopy last week and was told I was stage 3A and given a treatment plan..I decided to switch to UCSF and had all my records faxed there on Friday 3-5-10.Got a call today that the earliest they can see me is 3 weeks away,which will be 7 weeks since an endoscopy…
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Update on my wife Linda
This is Abe AKA Runabe have not posted for a while just always staying on the side Linda went back to Sloan-Kettering on Thursday for her Cat scan seven months after surgery ALL IS OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Linda also went to the beauty parlor had her hair cut and died NO MORE WIGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just…
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Taxol...anyone ever take this drug?
Lyle's case has been challenging for the doctors. After many consults with the Tumor Board and Mayo...the decision seems to be that with Lyle's other health issues...Taxol will be the best choice. We are wondering if anyone has taken this drug...and how did you do on it? Susie
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Mom and I are on information overload and dad seems non-chalant
Hello. Me again. My father was recently diagnosed with inoperable stage IV esophageal cancer. He begins chemo on Tuesday, March 9th. I'm sure what I'm about to describe is typical but I'm looking for suggestions how to handle it. We've been getting a good bit of information from the doctors so far plus my mother and I have…
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Digestion/Activia/Constipation/Food getting caught
I was wondering if anyone has tried Activia to aid in food dogestion. Also I was wondering if anyone struggles with constipation? Ive also seem to have started getting food caught. Any suggestions??
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EC Chemo cycle question
Hi All, I'm just recovering from side effects from my 2nd. chemo treatment. They seem to appear on the 6th. day following treatment. My thinking is that if the chemo is working, it must make a make a pretty toxic time bomb. All those drugs and dead cells have to work their way out at some point. If this is true, then I can…
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Back Pain
My father, Oscar, was recently diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. His first chemo treatment is this Tuesday, March 9th. How we came to his diagnosis is for the past 3 months or so dad has taken to sleeping on the recliner because his back is hurting. Even with sleeping in the recliner he was not sleeping more than…
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Any insights on surgery decision?
My 62 year old manfriend was diagnosed 12/23/09 with T3N1 squamous EC. The primary lesion is just under the sternum, the node near the collarbone. In the initial blur, we both heard the docs explain that any surgery would have to be delayed until the lesion was (hopefully) shrunk with chemo/rad. He's had 1 week of…
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Countdown to surgery
Well, this will probably be my last post for a week or so. I’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon to travel to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for my Esophagectomy which is scheduled for Monday morning. I’ve gotten quite a lot of excellent information and support from all of you and I sincerely thank each of you for that. I’ll…
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Numbness and Persistent Cough
It has been almost 3 months since my husband's surgery. He continues to have numbness in his fingers and toes along with a persistent cough. I was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. The cough often leads to vomitting and I am very worried about what effect this will have on his new esophagus/stomach. I…
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Not sure how to care for my husband
My husband has had a long battle with EC...was diagnosed at stage IVa; the original chemo-radiation knocked it back, but it came back with a vengeance and spread to his liver and then brain. We had hopes of enrolling in a clinical trial, but this was before there was brain involvement, and that disqualified him. He has had…
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Excessive saliva?
Hello- My husband has esophageal/stomach cancer and just had his 3rd chemo treatment this week (oxalyplatin & epirubicin), plus he takes 2500 mg of xeloda orally every day. A few days after his 1st chemo he started producing lots of extra saliva, and it is really bothering him. Has anyone else experienced this? His doctors…
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Something I found
I just had to share this with you all...Steve was a biker and I found this the other day online, and it really hit home. Since I found it, Steve's friends have put it on a plaque so I wanted to share a little of what my husband was and still is~~~ I hope this is not inappropriate or hurtful to anyone. Memories of You Each…
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Update on my mom's EC
So, she was staged last week at IIb. Her PET test took place on Wed and yesterday she met with the oncologist for the first time. The oncologist informed her that the PET test revealed a potential issue in her colon as well. They are now scheduling for a colonoscopy and it will be performed first thing on Tuesday. My dad…
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Just diagnosed stage 3-Many questions
First off this is my first post on the board but I have read it and it's been an invaluable resource for some of my concerns.I am a 61 year old male who had been in excellent health except for type 2 diabetes.. After thinking I had reflux I finally went to my doctor when I started to experience regurgitation after some…
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Prognosis Question - Should the patient be there when we ask what the prognosis is?
I'm new to the boards. My 80 year old father was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He had CT scan on February 16th that identified a tumor in his esophagus and an endoscopy the following Monday, February 22nd. The following day he was told that the tumor was cancer and an appointment was scheduled on March 1st…
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Emend
I have completed my 4th of 6 chemo treatments. I am still having issues with Stomach nausea, and getting worse. I have tried several meds but found out I was allergic to about the first three we tried, which made it even worse. I am currently on Lorazepam (Antivant)/ 1 mg three times a day and Anzemet, 100 mg once a day…
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update on Paul
I think the last time I posted Paul was in the hospital with liver problems. It has been a rough ever since. He spent about a week in rehab to gain his strength beck from his ICU stay and was doing and feeling well. A UTI landed him back in the hospital where the liver started to fail again. He had a stint put in that…
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Xeloda and oxalipaltin
Ed has been on xeloda about 11 days and one iv infusion of oxalipaltin., he has been in bed every since, 24 hours a day, every day. He says "he is tired", eating a bit, drinking some. Is this normal?????????? He has until this sunday to finish the 14 day run of the xeloda. The dose of this drug is 3 pills in the morning…
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Xeloda for Lyle
We saw the oncologist yesterday. She took Lyle's case to the Tumor Board and the group of radiologists and oncologists agreed that Xeloda pills would be the best course of treatment for Lyle due to his kidney failure and dialysis. They are concerned that the lack of kidney function will cause him to become too toxic.…
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Any reccomended EC Center near Tallahasse, FL?
As some of you know my uncle is now going through the staging/diagnosing process for EC. They live in Tallahassee, FL. Is anyone (William?) aware of anywhere close by for them to look for treatment, staging etc? I can' believe they have to go through this now too... kim
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Update on my dad
Well, the news is grim for my dad. The oncologist apt. yesterday didn't go so well. She feels my dad is too weak to continue with chemo. She says the chemo will kill him. He is very thin and pail and now VERY depressed. When I was visiting them on Sunday, he looked good to me, besides what I mentioned and I was fully…
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Chemo, working and weight
So dad is going into his 3rd chemo treatment. With the first one he did good, now with the second one he had trouble, he was sick and wasnt eating that much. So They are now putting him on steriods continuously and he will also be on the ktyril patch.They also put him on ativian which seems to be helping with his sleeping…
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A 4 min video from Dr Oz's show about Esophageal Cancer
Hi all You can share this with family & friends--to help prevent EC--just cut and paste address below. Kim Kardashian's father Robert (of O.J. fame) died of Esophageal Cancer after suffering with heartburn for years. Here she is on Dr. Oz's show last week talking about the link between heartburn and cancer. Very graphic -…
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Diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus Saved My Life
I have been around a bout a week reading all of your post's and gaining a lot of information which has really helped me. My heart goes out to each and everyone of you,and your families. All of your stories are so much worse than mine. I just wish more people had more knowledg of Esophageal Cancer so there would maybe be…
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How to explain this to my children
Hello, My mom is 55 and has stage 4 esophageal cancer. She was diagnosed the end of November 2009. Treatment seemed to be going well and then the pain hit. She has finished her chemoradiation and is waiting on scans. The pain is sometimes so much for her that she just rocks back and forth and moans. Last week it was found…
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my husband has EC
I've always been too shy to participate in a message board. But this one I must join in. I found CSN yesterday while once again researching EC. I can read article upon article and it's all starting to repeat what I've already read. Then I came to CSN and started reading.You all seem like such caring and knowledgeable…
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abdonimal pain
my husband is having abdominal pain, following dinner. He said that he ate too much, but he ate maybe a cup of food. any ideas on what to do