PLEASE NEED HELP

LillyNY
LillyNY Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
I am new to posting have read alot but not posted. I was diagnosed with ec stage 4 in November, had 18 chemo treatments and everything shrunk over 60 percent. Am now on a rest for two months until mid August , when I went to Dr at ct reading and he told me about two months off of chemo I said I was having little trouble swallowing but thought it was the post nasal drip I was having . Now the problems seems worse and I am scared. Should I call the dr and tell him and get another ct sooner or wait til mid august. I know all the stress I am under now is driving me crazy. I am 60 years old and so afraid..... Please someone give me some advice and courage. I wonder if after having chemo it can cause for the esophagus to have to be stretched?

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #3
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thank you for answering me,
    Thank you for answering me, I am glad it could be shrinkage and pray that is it. No I have not had radiation just chemo. No none in the organs some in lymph noids
    but they had also shrunk.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    LillyNY said:

    Thank you for answering me,
    Thank you for answering me, I am glad it could be shrinkage and pray that is it. No I have not had radiation just chemo. No none in the organs some in lymph noids
    but they had also shrunk.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Not he said no surgery, is
    Not he said no surgery, is your husband?
  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #6
    Perhaps you should talk to your Doctor about an Endoscopy
    Lilly,

    Perhaps you should discuss the option of an Endoscopy with your doctor. If indeed your difficulty swallowing is related to some stricture or other abnormality in your throat it would indicate the problem. If not, you would have the peace of mind that all is well at least in that particular area.

    I would not wait two months to investigate. The added anxiety will not help your recovery and since you are supposed to be in a two month “rest”, I can’t imagine that the worry about what “might be” is going to make a positive contribution to the rest you need.

    Endoscopy is quick and painless and can provide information that external scans like CT scans don’t provide.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams
    AKA “paul61”
    McCormick, South Carolina
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #7
    paul61 said:

    Perhaps you should talk to your Doctor about an Endoscopy
    Lilly,

    Perhaps you should discuss the option of an Endoscopy with your doctor. If indeed your difficulty swallowing is related to some stricture or other abnormality in your throat it would indicate the problem. If not, you would have the peace of mind that all is well at least in that particular area.

    I would not wait two months to investigate. The added anxiety will not help your recovery and since you are supposed to be in a two month “rest”, I can’t imagine that the worry about what “might be” is going to make a positive contribution to the rest you need.

    Endoscopy is quick and painless and can provide information that external scans like CT scans don’t provide.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams
    AKA “paul61”
    McCormick, South Carolina

    Thank you Paul. I will call
    Thank you Paul. I will call Monday and it is only 3 more weeks before I go back well 3 weeks from next Wednesday.
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #8
    LillyNY said:

    Thank you Paul. I will call
    Thank you Paul. I will call Monday and it is only 3 more weeks before I go back well 3 weeks from next Wednesday.

    Hi Lilly and welcome to our
    Hi Lilly and welcome to our ec family! I agree with sherri and Paul. Do not wait any longer, call the dr and get an appt to have the endoscope done. You may need an esohageal stretch, or have a stent put in to open it up. A lot of times the tumor is shrunk, but scar tissue develops around the area closing it off. This happened to my dad, who had to have a stent put in. Best of luck, keep in touch.
    Tina
  • mmr19
    mmr19 Member Posts: 75
    #9
    Trouble swallowing
    Hi Lilly-
    Welcome to this site.
    My husband is stage 4b. He was dx in Dec 2009. He had his last chemo treatment on 6/2. He had a CTscan 3 weeks later that showed that everything shrunk. However he started having difficulty swallowing...just like in the beginning. Needless to say we were also very scared like you. We asked the Dr since he just had a CTscan. The Dr said the scan does not show why he's having the swallowing problem and advised him to have an Endoscopy to see inside the esophagus.
    There was a narrowing in the middle of his esophagus that the Dr was able to dilate with the scope. That seemed to open it up and made swallowing easier.
    So don't wait and worry. I agree with Paul. You should ask about an Endoscopy.

    Good luck to you. You've been fighting a tough battle and it is time for your 2 month rest with peace of mind.

    Marta
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #10
    mmr19 said:

    Trouble swallowing
    Hi Lilly-
    Welcome to this site.
    My husband is stage 4b. He was dx in Dec 2009. He had his last chemo treatment on 6/2. He had a CTscan 3 weeks later that showed that everything shrunk. However he started having difficulty swallowing...just like in the beginning. Needless to say we were also very scared like you. We asked the Dr since he just had a CTscan. The Dr said the scan does not show why he's having the swallowing problem and advised him to have an Endoscopy to see inside the esophagus.
    There was a narrowing in the middle of his esophagus that the Dr was able to dilate with the scope. That seemed to open it up and made swallowing easier.
    So don't wait and worry. I agree with Paul. You should ask about an Endoscopy.

    Good luck to you. You've been fighting a tough battle and it is time for your 2 month rest with peace of mind.

    Marta

    I called and had a swallow
    I called and had a swallow test. They said it was much better from last and that was before the chemo so yes there has been a shrinkage, Thank You God. Monday I do go for a endoscopy my Dr said it is to see if the cancer has taken a new turn or it is just scar tissue, I am praying that it is just scar tissue. I am still very afraid, sometimes I just feel so alone and don't know what to do. I do pray a lot but the waiting and wondering sometimes gets the best of me.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #11
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #12
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    This is a cancer hospital
    This is a cancer hospital and I have had a team of drs. My cousin is also a dr in NJ and said he would do the same it is in to many lymph noids. Just treatment.
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #13
    LillyNY said:

    This is a cancer hospital
    This is a cancer hospital and I have had a team of drs. My cousin is also a dr in NJ and said he would do the same it is in to many lymph noids. Just treatment.

    Hoping for the Best!
    Hi Lilly
    It is Monday. Hope all has gone well for you today. Just wanted to let you I was thinking of you and praying for you. Let us know how things went.
    Tina
  • LillyNY
    LillyNY Member Posts: 7
    #14
    Tina Blondek said:

    Hoping for the Best!
    Hi Lilly
    It is Monday. Hope all has gone well for you today. Just wanted to let you I was thinking of you and praying for you. Let us know how things went.
    Tina

    thank you
    Did not go well , aug 11 I go for another cat scan then they will decided how much radiation and what chemo they will be putting me on. I am so scared and sad I thought and prayed so that I was thrilled when tumor shrunk but inside it didn't do a thing.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #15
    LillyNY said:

    thank you
    Did not go well , aug 11 I go for another cat scan then they will decided how much radiation and what chemo they will be putting me on. I am so scared and sad I thought and prayed so that I was thrilled when tumor shrunk but inside it didn't do a thing.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #16
    LillyNY said:

    thank you
    Did not go well , aug 11 I go for another cat scan then they will decided how much radiation and what chemo they will be putting me on. I am so scared and sad I thought and prayed so that I was thrilled when tumor shrunk but inside it didn't do a thing.

    Hi Lily
    Sorry things did not
    Hi Lily
    Sorry things did not go will for you. Stay strong, continue to pray, chemo and radiation will kill this cancer. Take it one day at a time. Just know that we are here for you, and we will continue to pray for you. Let us know how it goes after the 11th.
    Tina

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