My mother saved my life

jim2011
jim2011 Member Posts: 115
in Esophageal Cancer #1
About 10 years ago my mother was diag with EC and went through all the treatments money could buy at the time. She passed within 1 year of diag. I asked her how she found out she had EC and she said that she had trouble swallowing. That was my first symtom also now ten years later. I have had all the standard of care treatments and I will for sure beat the 1 year mark and many more.
Two more tidbits...My mothers neighbor had the same "trouble swallowing" and also was diag with EC and that was what motivated my mother to get into the doctor. I told my buddy from Texas about my trouble swallowing and he also had the same problem and was diag with gastric cancer that spread to his esophagas. His surgery was September 29, 2011 and his wife tells me he is doing good and thanked me...
Get the word out and maybe we can get some early detection going at a grassroots level.

Comments

  • Ginny_B
    Ginny_B Member Posts: 532
    #2
    Until 8 weeks ago, mom never
    Until 8 weeks ago, mom never complained about swallowing. She commented to me that she was going to ask the doc because she started to feel something when she swallowed. It took 3 weeks from that 1st appt, to get to see the GE doc. He squeezed her in for the endoscope one week later, and it will be 1 week from that procedure that we get the result. So 8 to 9 weeks from her onset.

    I don't think the cancer just suddenly appeared. She's probably had it a while and like Rose's post said, it isn't felt until maybe half the esophagus is blocked. It all is sort of falling into place.

    Jim, were you looking for or waiting for similar symptoms? Did you have regular endoscopes?
  • Callaloo
    Callaloo Member Posts: 135
    #3
    Don't wait for symptoms....
    If you have a family history of EC, don't wait until you start experiencing the same symptoms before you see a doctor. Trouble swallowing doesn't start until the later stages of the disease.

    My son had an endoscopy right after I was diagnosed, and he's been advised to have a screening done at least every 3 years.
  • Cora11
    Cora11 Member Posts: 173
    #4
    awesome
    go grassroots! I think the whole emergency room department where my husband works had a run on endoscopy after he got diagnosed
    Cora
  • jim2011
    jim2011 Member Posts: 115
    #5
    Ginny_B said:

    Until 8 weeks ago, mom never
    Until 8 weeks ago, mom never complained about swallowing. She commented to me that she was going to ask the doc because she started to feel something when she swallowed. It took 3 weeks from that 1st appt, to get to see the GE doc. He squeezed her in for the endoscope one week later, and it will be 1 week from that procedure that we get the result. So 8 to 9 weeks from her onset.

    I don't think the cancer just suddenly appeared. She's probably had it a while and like Rose's post said, it isn't felt until maybe half the esophagus is blocked. It all is sort of falling into place.

    Jim, were you looking for or waiting for similar symptoms? Did you have regular endoscopes?

    symptoms
    I had a sensation of pain behind my sternum over the summer of 2010 and easily controlled by Advil. I went to the Minnesota State Fair at the end of August 2010 and had zero problems swallowing the huge amount of food that I ate that day. Then in October 2010 I had a problem swallowing some grilled chicken. Then more problems swallowing and very rapid weight loss. Thats what I recall. Never thought about me and EC until the problems with food getting stuck. Never had an endoscope over the years. Should have...in hindsight.
  • jim2011
    jim2011 Member Posts: 115
    #6
    My Texas Buddy
    His surgery to take his entire stomach and a few inches of his esophagas was 09/29/2011. He is out now and at home. He calls all the time with eating and pain questions. The big issue is they took out 27 nodes and found cancer in 15 of them. Im thinking stage IV now? His oncologist said that they are going to throw everything they got at it. How does this happen to good people?

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