I need help and have Q??

kimdymecki
kimdymecki Member Posts: 2
edited March 2012 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Ok I was really hoping that someone out there might be able to help. My husband was diagnosised in Nov 2011 with Stage IV Esophogeal cancer. The drs sometimes refer to it as Gastric Cancer as his tumor is at his ge junction and his stomach biopsies came back positive as well. The cancer has metasized to his hip and to his back. There was also several suspicious spots in his kidney and one in his liver and when he had a perinthesis in December there was cancer cells in the fluid drained from his abdomen. We were advised that surgery was not an option and that Chemo was the recommended treatment. He had 5 treatments of Oxiplatin and 5-FU and then he had some issues with uncontrolled pain and concerns about a small bowel obstruction. He was unable to eat for more than a week so they started TPN for nutrition. That was the 2nd week of Feb. They switched his Chemp to Irenotecen and did one dose of that while he was hospitalized. He was home for 3 days and back to hospital for 2 weeks-- during which it was determined that the small bowel was completely blocked-- they inserted a NG tube to decompress stomach and drain and after a week with no change in blockage inserted a PEG tube to decompress and drain stomach. Does anyone know if there is anyother treatments out there and if so where? Drs are saying he has 6 months at the very most. Very very sad.

Comments

  • bingbing2009
    bingbing2009 Member Posts: 177
    Hello Kim
    Welcome to the site, although I wish you didn't have a need to be here. If you are on FB, there are some sites on there you may want to join, including one with lots of people from this site.

    Melinda
  • This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • kimdymecki
    kimdymecki Member Posts: 2

    Hello Kim
    Welcome to the site, although I wish you didn't have a need to be here. If you are on FB, there are some sites on there you may want to join, including one with lots of people from this site.

    Melinda

    Melinda- thanks for
    Melinda- thanks for responding. This whole thing is so scary and lonely-- my husband and I were so social before all this happened and now while we still see some people it is much more limited and as hard as folks try they simply can not understand what we are going thru. I am on FB not sure how I find the sites you are referring ?
  • mruble
    mruble Member Posts: 174

    Melinda- thanks for
    Melinda- thanks for responding. This whole thing is so scary and lonely-- my husband and I were so social before all this happened and now while we still see some people it is much more limited and as hard as folks try they simply can not understand what we are going thru. I am on FB not sure how I find the sites you are referring ?

    I'm also sorry to welcome
    I'm also sorry to welcome you here. My husband was stage four and fought valiantly for 28 months before passing March 1 of this year. We made the most of the time had had left - knocking many items off his bucket list whenever he was feeling up to it. I encourage you to focus on living each and every day without obsessing about tomorrow.

    If you'd like to send me a friend request on Facebook - Mary Lewis Ruble -- I will get you added to the group. It's "secret" so you find it unless you are invited.

    Mary
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    Cancer is a painful disease, my grandfather is diagnosed with state 4 prostate cancer 3 months, ago it was really sad because we discover it at a very late stage. We tried everything we could do from medicines his doctors prescribed to him and to many alternative medicines known to cure cancer, but unfortunately he was not able to survived cancer and I know he tried his best to fight the disease but his body is too weak. He pass away this January 13 age 81 it is very sad. For those anyone out there whose love-one friends who are diagnosed with cancer keep on fighting...
  • Melinda- thanks for
    Melinda- thanks for responding. This whole thing is so scary and lonely-- my husband and I were so social before all this happened and now while we still see some people it is much more limited and as hard as folks try they simply can not understand what we are going thru. I am on FB not sure how I find the sites you are referring ?

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • cher76
    cher76 Member Posts: 292
    Kim, welcome!
    My husband Rickie was diagnosed at MD Anderson Cancer Center with stage IV EC in October of 2010 with mets to his spine. His cancer was also called metastatic GE junction adenocarcinoma. He had four doses of oxaliplatin, docetaxel, and 5-FU with mixed results. Then we moved on to a clinical trial, protocol 2009-0231, which involved a placebo which we felt that he received. The end of Feb.2011 he started on Irinotechan and Erbitux. He continued on these two drugs having his last round in September of 2011. During the time he was on these drugs the tumors shrank considerably, but then returned with a vengeance in Oct. 2011. Mets to his brain were discovered in Oct. and radiation to the brain was given. He passed away on jan. 4, 2011. You did not mention where you were seeking treatment, but make sure it is a major cancer center. This disease is too aggressive to waste time at a place where they do not treat people with it on a daily basis. At the time of our last visit he was scheduled to return to MD Anderson for what is called Targeted Therapy. This is where they look at you specifically and prescribe chemos that are dosed just for you. Before we could return he was diagnosed with mets to the brain, and began going down pretty fast. Originally the doctors did not expect Rickie to live more than 4 or 5 months. Under their care he managed to stretch that to 15 months. Just sharing our story as I found that it sounded a similar to yours. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you travel on this journey.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx EC stage IV Oct. 2010
    Mets to bones and brain
    Lost the battle Jan. 4, 2012