So my dad met with DR

Pghmomma
Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
L. today. All I know is that Dad does have Esophageal Cancer. Unsure of anything else yet, but he is going for Surgery Monday. Ill update when I know more... Please pray, the power of prayer is amazing.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #2
    Dear Pgh,
    Hello. I will most
    Dear Pgh,
    Hello. I will most definitely pray for your dad and you. My dad is going for his balloon dilation on Monday. Surgery is a great option that my dad was not able to have. Your dad is lucky to be able to be strong enough to handle it. Please keep us updated.
    Tina
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #3
    Tina Blondek said:

    Dear Pgh,
    Hello. I will most
    Dear Pgh,
    Hello. I will most definitely pray for your dad and you. My dad is going for his balloon dilation on Monday. Surgery is a great option that my dad was not able to have. Your dad is lucky to be able to be strong enough to handle it. Please keep us updated.
    Tina

    More info
    Thanks Tina. We are in good hands. Thats what I keep thinking. We are unsure now if he will be able to preform the surgery. He had a CT scan done and couldnt see everything from that i guess. I dont know I wasnt their with them... He said that "IF" he can do it he will. Seeing what it looks like, he needs to get in there and see it.. So Im praying that he is able to have it done. If not then he will get a port and need chemo then surgery. I am thinking of your dad as well, I hope all goes well
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #4
    Pghmomma said:

    More info
    Thanks Tina. We are in good hands. Thats what I keep thinking. We are unsure now if he will be able to preform the surgery. He had a CT scan done and couldnt see everything from that i guess. I dont know I wasnt their with them... He said that "IF" he can do it he will. Seeing what it looks like, he needs to get in there and see it.. So Im praying that he is able to have it done. If not then he will get a port and need chemo then surgery. I am thinking of your dad as well, I hope all goes well

    Sounds like the drs may need
    Sounds like the drs may need to do a pet scan, which will show more detail, or have your dad have an endoscope of his esophagus done. Both will show a lot more than the ct scan did. Hope for the best! Thanks for your prayers! Ditto to you.
    Tina
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #5
    Tina Blondek said:

    Sounds like the drs may need
    Sounds like the drs may need to do a pet scan, which will show more detail, or have your dad have an endoscope of his esophagus done. Both will show a lot more than the ct scan did. Hope for the best! Thanks for your prayers! Ditto to you.
    Tina

    He had the Endoscope done
    He had the Endoscope done and it wasnt able to get all the way down since the tumor is 34 to 38 in size. Im just hoping Monday comes and the surgery is succesfull
  • mumphy
    mumphy Member Posts: 440
    #6
    Pghmomma said:

    He had the Endoscope done
    He had the Endoscope done and it wasnt able to get all the way down since the tumor is 34 to 38 in size. Im just hoping Monday comes and the surgery is succesfull

    Dear Pghmomma
    Hi,

    I am guesing that Dr. Luketich and his team are doing the surgery. I am just wondering if your dad has had his staging yet. It not they may not remove the tumor at the time of surgery. My husband who is a patient of his had his first laproscopy done and they couldn't remove the tumor at that time. He had to have chemo first.

    I do not want to discourage you in anyway as I am unsure as to what extent your dad's testing
    has already consisted of.

    Dr. Luketich is the best there is as far as I am concerned My husband was stage IV which is
    almost as bad as you can get. fortunately his abdomen and major organs did not have any metastasis, they were only in the lymphnodes of his chest.

    When Al went in for his first surgery Dr. Luketich said that it would either take a couple of
    hours or about 9 hours. It took a couple because he didn't want to remove the tumor at that
    time. He then referred us back to the oncologist for chemo therapy. He has since then had his
    surgery on Oct. 19th and is doing very well considering.

    I don't want to discourage you in any way. I am praying for you and your family that your dad
    is able to have the complete surgery on Monday. This will truely be a god send to be able to
    have the surgery done and over with. I just want to let you know that if there is something that Dr.L sees there he will not complete the surgery at that time. He likes things a certain way and I wouldn't change that for anything.

    Again I wish you and your family the best of luck and I am not trying to rain on your parade in anyway I just want you to know this just in case.

    May God Bless you and your family, I will be praying for you all on Monday.

    Kath
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #7
    mumphy said:

    Dear Pghmomma
    Hi,

    I am guesing that Dr. Luketich and his team are doing the surgery. I am just wondering if your dad has had his staging yet. It not they may not remove the tumor at the time of surgery. My husband who is a patient of his had his first laproscopy done and they couldn't remove the tumor at that time. He had to have chemo first.

    I do not want to discourage you in anyway as I am unsure as to what extent your dad's testing
    has already consisted of.

    Dr. Luketich is the best there is as far as I am concerned My husband was stage IV which is
    almost as bad as you can get. fortunately his abdomen and major organs did not have any metastasis, they were only in the lymphnodes of his chest.

    When Al went in for his first surgery Dr. Luketich said that it would either take a couple of
    hours or about 9 hours. It took a couple because he didn't want to remove the tumor at that
    time. He then referred us back to the oncologist for chemo therapy. He has since then had his
    surgery on Oct. 19th and is doing very well considering.

    I don't want to discourage you in any way. I am praying for you and your family that your dad
    is able to have the complete surgery on Monday. This will truely be a god send to be able to
    have the surgery done and over with. I just want to let you know that if there is something that Dr.L sees there he will not complete the surgery at that time. He likes things a certain way and I wouldn't change that for anything.

    Again I wish you and your family the best of luck and I am not trying to rain on your parade in anyway I just want you to know this just in case.

    May God Bless you and your family, I will be praying for you all on Monday.

    Kath

    Kath,
    Thank you very much
    Kath,
    Thank you very much for all the info. He did inform us that he may not be able to do the surgery on Monday. He said that his tumor is 34 to 38 and If he cant do it he will simply put a port in and we will have to have chemo first to shrink it and then have the surgery.

    They didnt stage him either. I guess what was said was he cant the L nodes so he wants to get in their.

    I am praying they are able to do it but if not life goes on and its just another road to take.
  • mumphy
    mumphy Member Posts: 440
    #8
    Pghmomma said:

    Kath,
    Thank you very much
    Kath,
    Thank you very much for all the info. He did inform us that he may not be able to do the surgery on Monday. He said that his tumor is 34 to 38 and If he cant do it he will simply put a port in and we will have to have chemo first to shrink it and then have the surgery.

    They didnt stage him either. I guess what was said was he cant the L nodes so he wants to get in their.

    I am praying they are able to do it but if not life goes on and its just another road to take.

    You are in the right place!
    You are in the right place by coming to this site, between William, Trish and myself there
    isn't much we can't answer about the way Dr. L does things. He will be looking at Al's scans
    by next Thursday to see if he wants him to have radiation added. The oncologists we have been seeing is Dr.Mike Gibson out of Hillman Cancer Center he thinks we will only need a little more chemo.

    OH I left out Erika her Dad also seen the same Dr. as Al before they decided they could not
    make the trip to Pgh. any more.

    So there is a wealth of information at your finger tips, feel free to use them.

    God Bless,
    Kath
  • Trish_from_Pittsburgh
    Trish_from_Pittsburgh Member Posts: 56
    #9
    mumphy said:

    You are in the right place!
    You are in the right place by coming to this site, between William, Trish and myself there
    isn't much we can't answer about the way Dr. L does things. He will be looking at Al's scans
    by next Thursday to see if he wants him to have radiation added. The oncologists we have been seeing is Dr.Mike Gibson out of Hillman Cancer Center he thinks we will only need a little more chemo.

    OH I left out Erika her Dad also seen the same Dr. as Al before they decided they could not
    make the trip to Pgh. any more.

    So there is a wealth of information at your finger tips, feel free to use them.

    God Bless,
    Kath

    Yes, Kath, PghMomma is most definately in the right place!
    Hi PghMomma,

    I have to say when I read your first post, I thought it was written by my daughter! Here's what you wrote:

    (Quote)

    Hello all, Im new here and have been reading all weekend. I thought I'd post a topic.

    Well My dad is 56 he has had acid reflux for YEARS. Went to DR's all the time and they kept telling him to take OTC meds. So about 9yrs ago he just gave up and stopped going to the DR's. BIG MISTAKE... Starting in August he started to get the hiccups as he ate. Chalked it up to his Acid reflux. Then just within the last month he started to have trouble swollowing foods and getting chest pain. Some things would stay down, while others wouldnt. He called the DR and they sent him for a U/s and saw nothing.. So then he went for a scope. Well that is when the DR said that it didnt look good he will send out for a biopsy but in the mean time he has to drink Boost or ensure and soft foods that he knows he can get down. Go for a CTscan and see a surgeon. He went in for a CT yesterday and a Baruim sallow as well, they said their was def a obstuction there. He meets with DR. Lukatick here in UPMC Thursday. The DR that performed the scope said he will need surgery.

    My dad is scared, Im a big ol' bag of emotion's. Im scared Im going to loose him. Im the yougest and we are very very close.

    I have a pretty good feeling that its EC. But I have to wait till they see the DR on thursday. I really hope everything turns out to be okay. I have lots of faith and im praying HARD.

    I just wanted to pop in and say that you will prob be hearing form me alot with alot of questions about this.

    Thanks alot!

    (End of Quote)


    Well, my husband is also 56 years old. He was also scared and my daughter is also afraid she is going to lose him. She is the youngest and very, very close to her dad, same as you.

    But I have to say you can't be in a better place than in the hands of Dr. Luketich and the entire staff at Presby Hospital in Pittsburgh. The nurses here have been so exceptionally nice to me, my husband and my entire family. Everytime you come into his room, the nurse will introduce herself or himself right away, ask how you are related, give you a complete update in laymen's terms, fill you in on the plan for the day, ask if you have any questions for them, explain anything they are doing in his room, and say "I'll be right here if you need anything". They truly are remarkable people!

    As for Dr. Luketich, he is awesome....so down to earth, takes his time with you to answer any questions you may have. His level of expertise is unsurpassed! He is actually the doctor who pioneered the minimally invasive procedure for esophageal cancer surgery. He usually does anywhere from 6-8 surgeries per day, 6 days per week. He says he loves to do surgery! He also teaches this procedure to students and other doctors, meets with patients at the Hillman Cancer Center, and in his spare time he loves to fish and spend time with his family and dog (what spare time?).

    So, if you have read any of my posts, please don't be alarmed at the complications my husband has had. Surgery went off without a hitch. If he didn't have such bad lungs due to his pneumonia and COPD, he would be at home today watching westerns on TV, playing PartyPoker on the computer or sitting at the diningroom table doing his word search books! I have faith that Dr. Luketich and his staff will pull your dad through this and he'll be home before you know it! Just hang in there...I know it's hard. I hope you find comfort in knowing you have a lot of friends at this site who are praying for you and your family. Please know that we care. Keep in touch, ok?

    My thoughts and prayers are with you,
    Trish
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #10
    Trish_from_Pittsburgh said:

    Yes, Kath, PghMomma is most definately in the right place!
    Hi PghMomma,

    I have to say when I read your first post, I thought it was written by my daughter! Here's what you wrote:

    (Quote)

    Hello all, Im new here and have been reading all weekend. I thought I'd post a topic.

    Well My dad is 56 he has had acid reflux for YEARS. Went to DR's all the time and they kept telling him to take OTC meds. So about 9yrs ago he just gave up and stopped going to the DR's. BIG MISTAKE... Starting in August he started to get the hiccups as he ate. Chalked it up to his Acid reflux. Then just within the last month he started to have trouble swollowing foods and getting chest pain. Some things would stay down, while others wouldnt. He called the DR and they sent him for a U/s and saw nothing.. So then he went for a scope. Well that is when the DR said that it didnt look good he will send out for a biopsy but in the mean time he has to drink Boost or ensure and soft foods that he knows he can get down. Go for a CTscan and see a surgeon. He went in for a CT yesterday and a Baruim sallow as well, they said their was def a obstuction there. He meets with DR. Lukatick here in UPMC Thursday. The DR that performed the scope said he will need surgery.

    My dad is scared, Im a big ol' bag of emotion's. Im scared Im going to loose him. Im the yougest and we are very very close.

    I have a pretty good feeling that its EC. But I have to wait till they see the DR on thursday. I really hope everything turns out to be okay. I have lots of faith and im praying HARD.

    I just wanted to pop in and say that you will prob be hearing form me alot with alot of questions about this.

    Thanks alot!

    (End of Quote)


    Well, my husband is also 56 years old. He was also scared and my daughter is also afraid she is going to lose him. She is the youngest and very, very close to her dad, same as you.

    But I have to say you can't be in a better place than in the hands of Dr. Luketich and the entire staff at Presby Hospital in Pittsburgh. The nurses here have been so exceptionally nice to me, my husband and my entire family. Everytime you come into his room, the nurse will introduce herself or himself right away, ask how you are related, give you a complete update in laymen's terms, fill you in on the plan for the day, ask if you have any questions for them, explain anything they are doing in his room, and say "I'll be right here if you need anything". They truly are remarkable people!

    As for Dr. Luketich, he is awesome....so down to earth, takes his time with you to answer any questions you may have. His level of expertise is unsurpassed! He is actually the doctor who pioneered the minimally invasive procedure for esophageal cancer surgery. He usually does anywhere from 6-8 surgeries per day, 6 days per week. He says he loves to do surgery! He also teaches this procedure to students and other doctors, meets with patients at the Hillman Cancer Center, and in his spare time he loves to fish and spend time with his family and dog (what spare time?).

    So, if you have read any of my posts, please don't be alarmed at the complications my husband has had. Surgery went off without a hitch. If he didn't have such bad lungs due to his pneumonia and COPD, he would be at home today watching westerns on TV, playing PartyPoker on the computer or sitting at the diningroom table doing his word search books! I have faith that Dr. Luketich and his staff will pull your dad through this and he'll be home before you know it! Just hang in there...I know it's hard. I hope you find comfort in knowing you have a lot of friends at this site who are praying for you and your family. Please know that we care. Keep in touch, ok?

    My thoughts and prayers are with you,
    Trish

    Trish,
    Thank you so Much for
    Trish,
    Thank you so Much for your Kind words.
    Im 25 and I have three kids. I just had my third on the 9th of November. So Im dealing with my emotions being every where along with my dad. But I can relate to your daughter. I had such a HUGH fear. But now that my dad has seen the DR. Im kinda hopeful I have lots of prayers for him and from all of the stories on here I have hope for him. Im sorry to hear about your DH, Im sure he will pull thur this! Im praying for him. I worked at presby so I know that all the Staff in the ICU and step down are WONDERFUL. DR. L did tell my mom, that he is not learning he is TEACHING. So hes been doing this for years. Hes teaching the band aid surgery everywhere now. I know we are in good hands. I told my mom and dad last nite that Im soo THANKFUL to live here in PGH.. And to have this DR is like a gift from god.

    As for my dad, he is happy to hear that he can get it done so soon. He got cleared for everything. Blood work was great, stress test was great! Like I said he is a very healthy person and just in the matter of 1 month he has lost 15lbs due to the location of the tumor and not being able to eat too much. Pretty soon it will all be done and we will be helping him get back to his normal self! It will be a long road but it will pay off at the end of each day!

    Thanks again for all the kind words and good thoughts!

    I will keep in touch!

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