ED -aka DeathorGlory - Today is the day!

LorettaMarshall
LorettaMarshall Member Posts: 662 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1

Well, Ed - My calendar says it's February 4th.  Sure hope by now that you have had surgery and that surgeons have correctly identified the problem you are currently wrestling with.  As always, especially we Stage IV cancer patients, are hoping that this is "something you can live with."  You've been battling this since 2008.  Let's hope you're one of those cats with 9 lives.  I see you've checked in today.  Hope that's a good sign and that surgery is still on as scheduled.  By now, you're probably recovering.  Sure hope so.  

And a word about this CSN outage---it has certainly thrown a kink in our communications with other patients.  My e-mails have been wiped out as well all the way back to October.  I don't know what the people think that have checked in and find out that all their postings are no longer here.  I've checked on the about me page for some of the most recent entries.  Their names can't be found! ! !

Even I have a "backup" of my own computer files.  Whoever came in to do the 2-hr. maintenance sure set us back.  We veterans serve as a "life line" to the newcomers.  I'm sad about this fiasco.

But once more, praying for you and your loving caregiver.  Cancer sure brings we wives and husbands closer together.  

Love & prayers,

Loretta 

Comments

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    #2
    Thinking about you today Ed

    Well, Let's see if they do the surgery this time. I know it was frustrating to have to wait.

    Sending prayers for good news and quick recovery.

    Hurry back and let us know how things went.

    Paul

  • Deathorglory
    Deathorglory Member Posts: 364 Member
    #3
    Surgery

    Hello,

    Thanks for the prayers and well wishes.  I had the surgery on Monday the 4th.  It went as well as it could.  The only problem was that when they did the pathology while I was on the table, all that they could discern was that it was an adenocarcinoma.  So it was cancer, but they couldn't determine what kind (could have been a metastatic recurrence of esophageal cancer or an independent case of lung cancer).  That meant that they proceeded with the most thorough surgery, removing the upper lobe of my left lung and all of the lymph nodes on that side.  Hopefully they'll have the results on what cancer it is this week when I have a bunch of doctor's appointments and we can figure out what comes next.  

    I was discharged Thusday the 7th, but there was still some air leaking in my lung, so they couldn't remove the chest tube.  I was sent home with a system to capture the juices/seepage.  That system clogged and we were struggling to drain it so it wouldn't just overflow all over the place.  I spent all day Saturday driving to/from the hospital's ER (it's an hour each way) and having the system replaced.  It's now draining well and we are able to empty it out ourselves.  Let's just hope that it continues to work well.  I'm hoping the chest tube can be removed this week at a doctor's appointment with the surgeon.

    Hopefully I get some clear answers this week and we come up with a workable plan going forward.

    Best Wishes,

    Ed

      

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    #4
    Deathorglory said:

    Surgery

    Hello,

    Thanks for the prayers and well wishes.  I had the surgery on Monday the 4th.  It went as well as it could.  The only problem was that when they did the pathology while I was on the table, all that they could discern was that it was an adenocarcinoma.  So it was cancer, but they couldn't determine what kind (could have been a metastatic recurrence of esophageal cancer or an independent case of lung cancer).  That meant that they proceeded with the most thorough surgery, removing the upper lobe of my left lung and all of the lymph nodes on that side.  Hopefully they'll have the results on what cancer it is this week when I have a bunch of doctor's appointments and we can figure out what comes next.  

    I was discharged Thusday the 7th, but there was still some air leaking in my lung, so they couldn't remove the chest tube.  I was sent home with a system to capture the juices/seepage.  That system clogged and we were struggling to drain it so it wouldn't just overflow all over the place.  I spent all day Saturday driving to/from the hospital's ER (it's an hour each way) and having the system replaced.  It's now draining well and we are able to empty it out ourselves.  Let's just hope that it continues to work well.  I'm hoping the chest tube can be removed this week at a doctor's appointment with the surgeon.

    Hopefully I get some clear answers this week and we come up with a workable plan going forward.

    Best Wishes,

    Ed

      

    Great to hear the surgery went well

    Hi Ed,

    I am so glad the surgery went well and you are in recovery. It would have been nice to determine the origin of the adenocarcinoma but I guess in the end the important thing it is removed and hopefully they got everything.

    So sorry the chest tube is still in, I know when I had my surgery I had two of them and I think they caused me more discomfort than my incisions because it seemed like every time I moved they would get caught on something and pull.

    It is great to hear from you again and to hear that the surgery got what it was supposed to get.

    Sending prayers for a quick and complete recovery and good news going forward.

    Best Regards,

    Paul

  • LorettaMarshall
    LorettaMarshall Member Posts: 662 Member
    #5
    Thanks for the update ED!

    Dear Ed:

    Glad to know you are back at home.  BUT not glad about the possibilities.  You know sometimes we Stage IVs can grow WEARY.  And even as new things crop up over which we have no control, we still hope that we have miles to go before there are no more options.  Knowing you, you won't leave any stone unturned, and you will ask direct questions and be an active participant in whatever course of action is required.  I don't have any control over how far the cancer will migrate, but I want to know as much as I can about what the doctors say will "buy me the most time."  Ultimately our times are in God's hands, but He expects us to use the brain He gave us to make the best choices we can.

    Love and prayers

    Loretta & William 

  • Deathorglory
    Deathorglory Member Posts: 364 Member
    #6
    Got Some Answers Today

    Well, I had a bunch of doctors appointments today and found out some things.  The cancer that was removed from my lung was metastatic esophageal cancer that has shown up in a lung again.  So this'll be my 3rd go around with EC and my second time as stage IV (does that make this stage VIII?)  That it's EC means a different course of action than if it had been lung cancer.  There are still some tests that need to be done on the tumor to identify specific things about it.  Once those test results are in (a few weeks), a plan for treatment can be devised.  There are a number of possible treatments: regular chemo, immunotherapy, more herceptin or some combination of these things.  

    The good news out of today is that my recovery from the surgery is going very well.  They removed the chest tube and didn't really have a great deal of concerns about how I'm progressing.

    Best Wishes,

    Ed

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