T1A stage

peggy seay
peggy seay Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
My husband has just recently been diagnosed with T1A stage of esophogeal cancer. Major surgery is scheduled for Feb. 23. Any suggestions about long term care etc. would be appreciated. At present I am in the "numb" stage dealing with this blow.

Comments

  • Lucky Micka
    Lucky Micka Member Posts: 3
    surviving cancer surgery
    Hi,
    I had the surgery Aug 11th, took about a good 2 months to get back to alittle bit like normal. was in Intensive care 1 wk and hosp another week. sent home with a feeding tube, but fought using it and was able to get by without it. I had lost my taste buds for awhile and found that when my daughter and wife started getting me to drink gator ade things started improving. came out of it Lactos Intolerant, however, ice cream, butter, eggs dont seem to bother me. Get him some physical therapy, (blue cross will pay for it)they told me walk EVERYDAY AND SWING THE ARMS, it took awhile and much pain, but the wife and daughter would not let up and it really worked! I take it he is going to go through the Iver Lewis surgery, that is what I had. Make sure you have a Waterproof Mattress cover, and depends. I was mortified with the "depends", however, they saved us more than once! I am retired and a "snow bird", and that is why I am in Fl and the cancer was found here. In Nov I was feeling very down, and hurting all over, in a panic that the cancer was somewhere else, had an endoscopy and colonoscopy to see what was going on, everything was fine. When he gets "down" a few months after everything is over, it may put his mind at ease to have that done. I guess I was also very lucky as I did not have to have chemo or radiation. If this helped you out, and I can be of any other help with answers just let me know. I still have problems, but improve every day. I am also in to bike riding, did 7 miles two weeks ago and 13 miles last friday. It helps me quite abit.

    Lucky Micka, ie Dave
  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member
    PEGGY READ MY POST
    Peggy, i just posted a long post on someone asking questions. Please go read my post. I have explained it in length. It is under MOE AND PAPA hope thats helps.

    Put your BIG GIRL PANTIES ON and you will do fine.

    Lori aka MOE
  • peggy seay
    peggy seay Member Posts: 9

    surviving cancer surgery
    Hi,
    I had the surgery Aug 11th, took about a good 2 months to get back to alittle bit like normal. was in Intensive care 1 wk and hosp another week. sent home with a feeding tube, but fought using it and was able to get by without it. I had lost my taste buds for awhile and found that when my daughter and wife started getting me to drink gator ade things started improving. came out of it Lactos Intolerant, however, ice cream, butter, eggs dont seem to bother me. Get him some physical therapy, (blue cross will pay for it)they told me walk EVERYDAY AND SWING THE ARMS, it took awhile and much pain, but the wife and daughter would not let up and it really worked! I take it he is going to go through the Iver Lewis surgery, that is what I had. Make sure you have a Waterproof Mattress cover, and depends. I was mortified with the "depends", however, they saved us more than once! I am retired and a "snow bird", and that is why I am in Fl and the cancer was found here. In Nov I was feeling very down, and hurting all over, in a panic that the cancer was somewhere else, had an endoscopy and colonoscopy to see what was going on, everything was fine. When he gets "down" a few months after everything is over, it may put his mind at ease to have that done. I guess I was also very lucky as I did not have to have chemo or radiation. If this helped you out, and I can be of any other help with answers just let me know. I still have problems, but improve every day. I am also in to bike riding, did 7 miles two weeks ago and 13 miles last friday. It helps me quite abit.

    Lucky Micka, ie Dave

    Hope
    Thank you so much. very informative. Just learning how to use this site and am amazed at all of the help and prayers. Will keep posting to assist others as we learn how to fight this battle.
  • peggy seay
    peggy seay Member Posts: 9
    MOE58 said:

    PEGGY READ MY POST
    Peggy, i just posted a long post on someone asking questions. Please go read my post. I have explained it in length. It is under MOE AND PAPA hope thats helps.

    Put your BIG GIRL PANTIES ON and you will do fine.

    Lori aka MOE

    Post
    Lori,
    I am new to using this type of site and do not know how to access MOE AND PAPA post. Can you direct me?
  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member

    Post
    Lori,
    I am new to using this type of site and do not know how to access MOE AND PAPA post. Can you direct me?

    SURE
    I just posted a lengthy one for LYLESMYPRINCE, click on her letter part and start reading, if I can help further please let me know. I do work so i won't be on till tonight but will be glad to guide you please let me know if you were able to find it.

    Lori aka MOE
  • peggy seay
    peggy seay Member Posts: 9
    MOE58 said:

    SURE
    I just posted a lengthy one for LYLESMYPRINCE, click on her letter part and start reading, if I can help further please let me know. I do work so i won't be on till tonight but will be glad to guide you please let me know if you were able to find it.

    Lori aka MOE

    Found it!
    Lori,
    Thank you for that info. I am encouraged to find all bits and pieces of anything that will enable me to assist my husband as he struggles to learn how to live with this battle. We were encouraged today to learn that the cancer had not spread any further than the original tumor. Surgery will be Feb. 23. at UT MED CENTER. We have been very blessed to have this discovered at this stage. I will also keep you and your husband in prayer.

    Peggy
  • Lylesmyprince
    Lylesmyprince Member Posts: 130

    Found it!
    Lori,
    Thank you for that info. I am encouraged to find all bits and pieces of anything that will enable me to assist my husband as he struggles to learn how to live with this battle. We were encouraged today to learn that the cancer had not spread any further than the original tumor. Surgery will be Feb. 23. at UT MED CENTER. We have been very blessed to have this discovered at this stage. I will also keep you and your husband in prayer.

    Peggy

    We find out tomorrow...hopefully
    Hi Peggy,

    I'm encouraged by your post and the early stage of your husband's cancer. We were told after the CT scan that Lyle's cancer has not spread...but then they called back and said they want to do further testing. We have known about the cancer for 2 weeks and still no staging. Tomorrow we go for an endoscopy with ultrasound. They will biopsy then and give us more info. How did you guys find the cancer so early? What were his symptoms? I am glad that he can have the surgery...I am praying for news similar to yours!! Praying for you both!! Susie
  • peggy seay
    peggy seay Member Posts: 9

    We find out tomorrow...hopefully
    Hi Peggy,

    I'm encouraged by your post and the early stage of your husband's cancer. We were told after the CT scan that Lyle's cancer has not spread...but then they called back and said they want to do further testing. We have known about the cancer for 2 weeks and still no staging. Tomorrow we go for an endoscopy with ultrasound. They will biopsy then and give us more info. How did you guys find the cancer so early? What were his symptoms? I am glad that he can have the surgery...I am praying for news similar to yours!! Praying for you both!! Susie

    More testing
    Susie,
    My husband also had the CT scan which was clean. We were encouraged. Then we too were sent back for more testing. PET scan and then just yesterday the endoscopic ultrasound. Both were very encouraging as no abnormal cells were detected outside of the area which they are going to remove. We also did not know about the stage until we met with the surgeon. Only then did I hear the intern mention the T1A stage. At that point in the meeting I knew that was a blessing as I had been doing research on the internet. Dependent upon the type of cancer (my husband's is adenocarcinoma-please don't check my spelling) they will give you different types of stages. As for early detection if I told you you would not believe me. Let me just say that being faith based as I am I recognize the HAND in the MASTER PLAN for our lives at this point. Jim has always had really bad acid reflux but in the past several months he had developed stomach ulcers. When they detected those the tumor was found along with ulcers of the esophagas. He was in really bad pain with the ulcers and practically beat the door down of his doctor's office until he finally agreed to further testing. We went to 2 other specialists prior to the UT MED CENTER so we feel that we are on the right track. I will send prayers heavenward for you guys and keep the faith. We are all on a journey that will lead us eventually home anyway but we also have to realize that we have our assignments to complete before then. Be blest and keep me informed. Peggy