Good results!

snook717

Good News!! Gpa did the barium swallow and passed! The doc said as of now Mon. or tues he will b able to come home. I asked the doc about the pathology report and was kind of discouraged by his answer. He said the results could be in anytime between mon-wed and that he tells all his patients, mostly those that have had pre opt chemo and rad to expect to have post opt chemo. That only 10-15% of patients have no sign of cancer after surgery. With everything I've read I was hoping for no surprises. Gpa got very worried again and said I thought after all of this it was going to be gone. We are all continuing praying that he as well as many others are in that 10-15%. Thank you everyone, your prayers mean everything!

sandy1943

After surgery, I still had
After surgery, I still had one positive lymph node out of all that was tested. I, like your g'pa, thought I should be cured. When I got upset, my surgeon told me it was great news and I should be happy. I was started on post op chemo, but it had to be stopped. So I feel blessed after three years, I'm still testing NED.
Good luck on the test results. Glad all is going so well, SAndra

Unknown

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Donna70

sandy1943 said:

After surgery, I still had
After surgery, I still had one positive lymph node out of all that was tested. I, like your g'pa, thought I should be cured. When I got upset, my surgeon told me it was great news and I should be happy. I was started on post op chemo, but it had to be stopped. So I feel blessed after three years, I'm still testing NED.
Good luck on the test results. Glad all is going so well, SAndra

had positive node and post op chemo
Be happy Grandpa is coming home. I think a lot of us had positive nodes and had post op chemo. It was hard but all my scans have been coming back clear since March '10 when I finished my post op chemo and I am a very happy camper. They do their best as Sandy attests, if it gets too bad they stop it. Sandy's results are wonderful and a matter for hope for your Grandpa. As William says be happy he is coming home. You take one step and then the next step to get thru all this. take care,
Donna70

paul61

Post Operative chemo is survivable
Danielle,

When I had my esophagectomy they found one positive node in the 20 nodes they removed. I had post operative chemo. It was not easy while recovering from surgery but it is survivable and my oncologist did everything he could to mitigate the side effects. I know your Grandpa feels he has been through enough at this point but let him know chemo is survivable.

Since I have finished my chemo my scans have been clear so I feel it was worth the challenge.

The good news is your Grandpa had his cancer found in a stage early enough to allow surgical removal!!!

Best Regards,

Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina

Gatoraid

Glad for good news
I was also very worried about chemo after my surgery but luckily, my results were clear. I will tell you that after all I went through (2 rounds of chemo, 28 days of radiation and major surgery) if they would have found anything that indicated more chemo, I would have been unhappy, but would have went for the chemo. I've found that the statistics they use are guesses at best. The incidence of my type of cancer (ademocarcinoma) had doubled in the past ten years and they used to gather data with the assumption that all esophageal cancer was the same, but it isn't. When I was first diagnosed I was told if they would have found lung cancer, they would be able to give me mush better answers because the statistics are better. Each of us are unique and the lack of accurate statistics can really shake you up. When I got on the government cancer site I read that 67% die within 5 years but that isn't true; stage 0 through 5 is mixed into that statistic and stage 0's do much better than 5's. Keep your chin up and wait it out. Hopefully post operative chemo will not be necessary.