Worried....

songbird123
songbird123 Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi everyone. I'm new here and wanted to post to see if I could get any input. I finally broke down yesterday and went to the doctor after having problems eating for months. Sometimes when I eat, the food gets stuck and I have to quickly wash it down with something to drink and then when it finally goes down, I hurt for a while. I also have had occasional heartburn. And unfortunately, I'm a smoker. So, my doctor has scheduled the "light down my throat" for Friday to rule out pre-cancer or cancer of the esophagus. I'm an avid worrier anyway, so now I'm paranoid. My family doesn't think it's cancer, but I just have a "bad feeling." Hopefully, my feeling is wrong, but if not, I want to find out all the information I can so I can fight. Well, thanks for reading. If you have any advice, please post. Thanks.

Comments

  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member
    #2
    I HOPE YOUR WRONG BUT SOUND LIKE IT MIGHT BE
    Hi my name is Lori/MOE welcome to our board. Just remember we all have/had the same thing is are facing. If you have had a hard time swallowing and then have to drink something quickly, I am not the doctor but I am fearing you probably do have EC, you will know as soon as they scope you. My family member was only 45 and never sick and had a hard time also, and when he was scoped immediately was told that he had a tumor in his esophogus about the size of a golf ball. You think the worse, but you won't know until they actually see what the real problem is. First off how old are you? Where do you live? Just remember we all have walked the journey, some with surgery some not able to have surgery some are in remission and some aren't. We are all here to help each other, and guide you down this ugly road or journey you could say. Just know we have all been scared at one point or another.

    I could tell you more, but don't want to scare you so if you have any further questions please ask we are here to help.

    Lori/moe58
  • BMGky
    BMGky Member Posts: 621
    #3
    You've taken the first step
    It is very important that you have this scope to find out what is going on. You give no details as to age and accessibility to cancer centers. Be certain to ask your doctor when is the earliest you can get your results. Hopefully, it's not a serious problem, but if it is, be certain to get further answers quickly. Many people on this site have had devastating diagnosis, got immediate treatment, and here they are many years later helping newbies facing the start of their journey. Hopefully, it is not cancer, but you are smart to be checking on this.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • songbird123
    songbird123 Member Posts: 5
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thanks for the comments everyone
    First off, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself or give more information about me. My name is Michelle, I'm 37, and live in a small town in Alabama, half-way between Huntsville and Birmingham. If it is EC, I guess my best bet would be to try UAB Hospital in Birmingham, as it is a world-renowned hospital. (However, I don't know anything about their cancer center.) My big problem is that I have no health insurance, as I am currently unemployed. In fact, my grandmother is lending me the money to have my EGD performed. Her and my mother both think I'm fine, but they said that if it is EC, that as far as the cost goes, we'll manage somehow. I also still have some 401K money that i can cash in, but that won't go far. Anyhow, I'm trying to stay positive, but also be realistic. I "dodged the bullet" ten years ago next month with ovarian cancer when I had a lemon-sized tumor on my right ovary that all the doctors and nurses at the hospital just "knew" was cancer, but thankfully, it wasn't. Right now the only thing I can do is wait and find out information. And yes, I know I need to quit smoking. Believe me, I know. My son is constantly on me about it. The only excuse I can give is it's really hard, because the more nervous and anxious I am, the more I smoke. And right now I'm very nervous. I'm glad this board is here and like I said, thank you for the comments. It helps having people who understand to talk to about this.
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #6
    songbird123 said:

    Thanks for the comments everyone
    First off, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself or give more information about me. My name is Michelle, I'm 37, and live in a small town in Alabama, half-way between Huntsville and Birmingham. If it is EC, I guess my best bet would be to try UAB Hospital in Birmingham, as it is a world-renowned hospital. (However, I don't know anything about their cancer center.) My big problem is that I have no health insurance, as I am currently unemployed. In fact, my grandmother is lending me the money to have my EGD performed. Her and my mother both think I'm fine, but they said that if it is EC, that as far as the cost goes, we'll manage somehow. I also still have some 401K money that i can cash in, but that won't go far. Anyhow, I'm trying to stay positive, but also be realistic. I "dodged the bullet" ten years ago next month with ovarian cancer when I had a lemon-sized tumor on my right ovary that all the doctors and nurses at the hospital just "knew" was cancer, but thankfully, it wasn't. Right now the only thing I can do is wait and find out information. And yes, I know I need to quit smoking. Believe me, I know. My son is constantly on me about it. The only excuse I can give is it's really hard, because the more nervous and anxious I am, the more I smoke. And right now I'm very nervous. I'm glad this board is here and like I said, thank you for the comments. It helps having people who understand to talk to about this.

    Welcome
    Hi Michelle and welcome to our loving ec family! I was a caregiver for my dad. He fought for 16 months with ec with mets to the liver. He passed away in March. You have made the first step, wonderful. Take this journey one day at a time. Do not think too far ahead of yourself. Have you tried quitting the smoking by using the patch? Just a suggestion. Best of luck on Friday. Let us know how you make out. We will be praying for you.
    Tina
  • songbird123
    songbird123 Member Posts: 5
    #7
    Tina Blondek said:

    Welcome
    Hi Michelle and welcome to our loving ec family! I was a caregiver for my dad. He fought for 16 months with ec with mets to the liver. He passed away in March. You have made the first step, wonderful. Take this journey one day at a time. Do not think too far ahead of yourself. Have you tried quitting the smoking by using the patch? Just a suggestion. Best of luck on Friday. Let us know how you make out. We will be praying for you.
    Tina

    OK, had my EGD this morning
    OK, had my EGD this morning and I'm finally coherent enough to post. LOL The procedure went a lot easier than I thought it would. I don't remember a thing after they gave me the medicine until I was in the recovery room. Anyway, they didn't find a tumor! YAY! However, they did say that my esophagus was very red and swollen and did a biopsy, which I should get the results of next week. So, I'm wondering, am I out of the woods now? Or could the biopsy still show cancer even though I have no tumor? Just wondering. Oh, and I also have a hiatal hernia. Thank you to everyone who posted and was thinking of me! :)
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
    songbird123 said:

    OK, had my EGD this morning
    OK, had my EGD this morning and I'm finally coherent enough to post. LOL The procedure went a lot easier than I thought it would. I don't remember a thing after they gave me the medicine until I was in the recovery room. Anyway, they didn't find a tumor! YAY! However, they did say that my esophagus was very red and swollen and did a biopsy, which I should get the results of next week. So, I'm wondering, am I out of the woods now? Or could the biopsy still show cancer even though I have no tumor? Just wondering. Oh, and I also have a hiatal hernia. Thank you to everyone who posted and was thinking of me! :)

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #9
    songbird123 said:

    OK, had my EGD this morning
    OK, had my EGD this morning and I'm finally coherent enough to post. LOL The procedure went a lot easier than I thought it would. I don't remember a thing after they gave me the medicine until I was in the recovery room. Anyway, they didn't find a tumor! YAY! However, they did say that my esophagus was very red and swollen and did a biopsy, which I should get the results of next week. So, I'm wondering, am I out of the woods now? Or could the biopsy still show cancer even though I have no tumor? Just wondering. Oh, and I also have a hiatal hernia. Thank you to everyone who posted and was thinking of me! :)

    Congratulations!
    Hi Michele
    Thanks for your recent update. So happy to know that you did not have a tumor! Live each day, do not think too far ahead of yourself. How is a hiatal hernia treated? Let us know how the biopsy goes. Will be praying for you!
    Tina
  • songbird123
    songbird123 Member Posts: 5
    #10
    Tina Blondek said:

    Congratulations!
    Hi Michele
    Thanks for your recent update. So happy to know that you did not have a tumor! Live each day, do not think too far ahead of yourself. How is a hiatal hernia treated? Let us know how the biopsy goes. Will be praying for you!
    Tina

    Still waiting on biopsy results...
    First off, thanks so much for everyone who has replied to my posts. :) I'm going crazy waiting to hear what the biopsy results are. My mother said that the doctor told her I would hear the beginning of this week. Well, no phone call today! LOL I'm extremely thankful that the EGD didn't show a tumor, but I still can't shake this "bad feeling" that I have. Maybe I'm just paranoid from all the research I've done, I don't know. Is it possible I could still have cancer without a tumor showing up, like Stage 0 or something? I just keep thinking the doctor must have seen something suspicious to do a biopsy. My son, who is 16 btw, still thinks I'm over-reacting. As for the smoking, I've cut back a little, but man, it's going to be so hard to just quit! And giving up chocolate, Mt. Dew, and alcohol is going to kill me too! (Mind you, I'm just a social drinker, but it's still going to be rough.) My best friend's big birthday party is July 10, and I think after that I'll go cold turkey on everything. *sigh* Sorry for the venting when I know everyone on here has bigger problems than I do, but I'm just worried. Thanks for reading. :)
  • tb7
    tb7 Member Posts: 52
    #11
    songbird123 said:

    Still waiting on biopsy results...
    First off, thanks so much for everyone who has replied to my posts. :) I'm going crazy waiting to hear what the biopsy results are. My mother said that the doctor told her I would hear the beginning of this week. Well, no phone call today! LOL I'm extremely thankful that the EGD didn't show a tumor, but I still can't shake this "bad feeling" that I have. Maybe I'm just paranoid from all the research I've done, I don't know. Is it possible I could still have cancer without a tumor showing up, like Stage 0 or something? I just keep thinking the doctor must have seen something suspicious to do a biopsy. My son, who is 16 btw, still thinks I'm over-reacting. As for the smoking, I've cut back a little, but man, it's going to be so hard to just quit! And giving up chocolate, Mt. Dew, and alcohol is going to kill me too! (Mind you, I'm just a social drinker, but it's still going to be rough.) My best friend's big birthday party is July 10, and I think after that I'll go cold turkey on everything. *sigh* Sorry for the venting when I know everyone on here has bigger problems than I do, but I'm just worried. Thanks for reading. :)

    Biopsies . . .
    Hey Songbird, what is your first name?? Is it Michelle??

    My brother-in-law just had an EGD and was told that biopsies are a routine part of the procedure. They are easy to get, so they like to take tissue samples just to make sure all is OK. His results came back with everything OK! So, here is hoping for the same result for you!!

    Trisha

    P. S. Doctors are also a little insensitive to time. They don't seem to have the same sense of urgency that the rest of us have, at least not a lot of the them. Hang in there!!

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