Contact & support.

johnrou

Today's Date: May 10, 2002.
Posting by Wife.

Had trouble eating & heart burn. Feb. 2002. We will gladly share this experience and would appreciate hearing from those that choose to have the surgery and those that did not have the surgery. We are also, interested in learning about the laser surgery. Please, email us at: lckys@jtel.net Chemotherapy was finished on May 8, 2002. We will finish radiation on Monday, May 13, 2002. Then, we will start the 3-6 weeks waiting before the re-testing.



What types of treatment(s) have occurred?
CHEMOTHERAPY Drugs: 5FU (Fluorauracil) and Cis-Platinum (Platinol, Cisplatin) given twice in doctors office, all day on days 1 & 29 via IV into port. Also, given for 96 hours following days 1 & 29, via bag holding bag of drugs and pump with line into the port. RADIATION: 30 doses given 5 days a week starting April 1, 2002, same day as starting chemotherapy.

Don't let anyone take your sense of humor.

There seems to be a lack of patient/survivor information. With each patient, each cancer, each treatment and each reaction being different it is even more helpful to learn from each other. Please contact us at lckys@jtel.net Thanks.

mrbt

Hi. My name is Bruce and I am a 56 year old male who underwent EC treatments in 1998. I was first diagnosed in June 98. I had two rounds of chemo 5FU and Cisplatin both as in patient treatments. Also had 25 radiation treatments at the same time. I finished my chemo and radiation at the end of July and had surgery in late September. Next month will be 4 years post diagnosis. I still have my sense of humor and the love of a good wife without whom I don't think I would have made it.

I elected to have the surgery because there is no guarantee that the chemo/rad treatments get rid of 100% of the tumor. Even if there is no visible sign left it is possible that a few cells are there and if they regrow the next tumor is resistant to the treatments. I don't know about the laser surgery.

My suggestion is to make sure that the surgeon has done the procedure many times with a very high success rate. Don't be afraid to ask how many esophagectomy surgeries he has done and what his success rate is. The most critical part is the new connection of the stomach to the remaining esophagus in the neck.

This is major surgery and the recovery period is long. Post surgery depression is not uncommon.

I'll contact you via your normal email also.

Good luck, Bruce

alsal1332

I'm afraid I cannot offer any personal information on your experiences. I too am an esophageal cancer patient but I underwent surgical esophagectomy without chemo or radiation. I agree that it is very helpful to exchange information between patients and I feel bad that I cannot contribute much to you now. Let's keep in touch, if you don't mind. All the best to you.

margmacsd

I tried to send an e-mail, but it was returned. My husband had the same treatment, chemo & radiation last year. So far he is clear of the cancer, but he is still very weak and sleeps most of the time. Thanks
Margaret McIntyre ROBMACSD@worldnet.att.net

julie_at_psu

mrbt said:

Hi. My name is Bruce and I am a 56 year old male who underwent EC treatments in 1998. I was first diagnosed in June 98. I had two rounds of chemo 5FU and Cisplatin both as in patient treatments. Also had 25 radiation treatments at the same time. I finished my chemo and radiation at the end of July and had surgery in late September. Next month will be 4 years post diagnosis. I still have my sense of humor and the love of a good wife without whom I don't think I would have made it.

I elected to have the surgery because there is no guarantee that the chemo/rad treatments get rid of 100% of the tumor. Even if there is no visible sign left it is possible that a few cells are there and if they regrow the next tumor is resistant to the treatments. I don't know about the laser surgery.

My suggestion is to make sure that the surgeon has done the procedure many times with a very high success rate. Don't be afraid to ask how many esophagectomy surgeries he has done and what his success rate is. The most critical part is the new connection of the stomach to the remaining esophagus in the neck.

This is major surgery and the recovery period is long. Post surgery depression is not uncommon.

I'll contact you via your normal email also.

Good luck, Bruce

Are there any survivors, caregivers or helpful folks willing to help with a Senior Project at Portland State University? A team of students are creating education software to document preoperation, operation and post operation experiences for esophageal cancer patients. We are working with a Doctor at OHSU. The project will assist and educate newly diagnosed patients. We are willing to interview you via a cell phone or if you live in the Portland Area we would really appreciate (if you are willing) to film your interview. If you can assist us please e-mail me at julie_aldridge@yahoo.com Thank you and when the project is finished I will be certain that you recieve a free CD of the project. This will be free product for esophageal patients. God Bless.

cooper1232

Trust your name is John, mine is peter, never been to a chat room before. may 1st will be 67 and year ago had the cancer. only choice was surgey with no doctors in Albany area qualified. Went to Sloan Kettering in nyc. Surgery on may 23. cut me like a fish, front and back. then an nasty infection in the wound in back. more surgery and spent 8 days in icu, five on a respirator. went from 190 to 150 lbs in those 8 days. I am still here. came home on fathers day in june walking with a cane and couldn't do stairs to save me live. In nov went back to work driving tractor trailor, doctor thinks i am crazy. Retired from the troopers in 93 after 32 years and just have to work. still nowhere as strong as i was but getting better all the time. Have a endoscopy and cat scan next month but truly believe that it is gone. drank more coffee for 40 years than any 20 people should have. terminal heartburn but just didn't know. Don't give up and keep at it. peter