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Esophageal Cancer Survivor Dad

jennifer21
jennifer21 CSN Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My Dad (now 60 yrs old) was diagnosed with esophageal cancer January 2002. He has gone through extensive chemo and radiation, followed by surgery. A section of his esophagus was removed. He has also gone through 2 minor surgeries to reopen the area to make swallowing easier. However, things are looking down. He is not able to eat the things he once could before. He experiences pain after everything he eats, extremely tired, and very weak. He was never a real big guy but he is now 5'7" and weighs only 118lbs. Nothing works anymore. He feels he is slowly dying. Trying to finish up my 2nd yr of school has been tough. We often wonder if something went wrong during his first surgery. If anyone has gone through this, knows of anyone and can be of any assistance,or has any questions for me- please feel free to e-mail me PrincessJMH21@aol.com It's great to be able to turn to a site like this! Thanks for all your help!
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Comments

  • eamonc
    eamonc CSN Member Posts: 2
    #2
    I had my esophagus and part of stomach removed in Feb. due to large tumor. Lost quite a bit of weight, was 204 in December now at 140.Biggest problem I had after surgury was severe cramping after anything I ate, even can of boost or small yogurt. I started taking a digestive enzyme purchased from any health store or drugstore, it helped me quite a bit, I still get some discomfort after eating but not the severe cramping I used to get.Maybe worth a try for your Dad.Good Luck.Eamon
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  • blitzbob`
    blitzbob` CSN Member Posts: 17
    #3
    eamonc said:

    I had my esophagus and part of stomach removed in Feb. due to large tumor. Lost quite a bit of weight, was 204 in December now at 140.Biggest problem I had after surgury was severe cramping after anything I ate, even can of boost or small yogurt. I started taking a digestive enzyme purchased from any health store or drugstore, it helped me quite a bit, I still get some discomfort after eating but not the severe cramping I used to get.Maybe worth a try for your Dad.Good Luck.Eamon

    hi
    sorry to hear of your dads illness it must be awful seeing someone suffer before your eyes
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  • jjm
    jjm CSN Member Posts: 3
    #4
    Insist that your Dad's doctor have a endoscopy performed to find out why there is so much pain. These health care systems are cheap! Push hard for the test. It should reveal the cause. God Bless your Dad and family. JJM
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  • cdk017
    cdk017 CSN Member Posts: 1
    #5
    My Dad was also diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December 2002. Since you last posted on May 15th, I was just wondering how your Dad is doing? I would love to share my experiences with you.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
    cdk017 said:

    My Dad was also diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December 2002. Since you last posted on May 15th, I was just wondering how your Dad is doing? I would love to share my experiences with you.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
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  • griffinherbert
    griffinherbert CSN Member Posts: 10
    #7
    Jennifer: It really is survivable. I had my Ivor-Lewis eshphagectomy with concurrent chemo and five weeks of radiation. It is NOT easy. I had a j-tube (feeding) for about six months. I lost about 50 pounds. I have fully recovered. I can now eat about anything. I don't eat much, but eat often (ha). I am now 58 years old...

    Lee
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