My 60 year old dad was diagnosed with Esophogeal cancer yesterday

Kowalski
Kowalski Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
We were made aware that this could potentially be cancer on Friday, July 16 following his endoscopy and Barium test. The symptoms leading up to this were difficulty swallowing begining in March, aversion to more acidic foods and solids due to difficulty swallowing, and dramatic loss in weight due to his reduced intake of food. In fact my parents were at lunch when my dad all of a sudden became very ill. As an aside I've heard a similar thing happened to Patrick Swayze - he took a drink of champagne that seemed to go down the wrong way. Today the doctor confirmed that it is likely Stage 3 or Stage 4 and has begun to spread...we have a Pet Scan scheduled for Monday which will illuminate how much it has spread and give us some idea as to how to treat it.

Per some of the conversation my parents were able to have with the doctor it also looks as though treatment might go in the direction of radiation treatments. And my dad, while weak, is still mobile and able to digest liquids like soups, milkshakes, popsicles, water, gatorade, banana's, protien shakes, etc... I've just begun researching local treatment clinics - although right now we're still trying to get the specifics of the situation before any specific treatment can be decided upon.

This is difficult for me as well as my mom - they've been married for 31 years. But we're all staying positive. Since the initial appointment on Friday I've done more with my mom and dad than I've probably done in the last few years. We went to the Braves game Saturday and took him for a milkshake, watched Dirty Harry on Sunday because it was raining and because he wanted to see it, went grocery shopping for things he can eat, went to a state park on Monday with the dogs and planned a road trip along the east coast to New Jersey (where he worked a few years back), and went to a local Museum yesterday. I don't know if many of you listen to This American Life - but I'm going to put that Sony field recorder I bought a few months ago to good use recording conversations about his life. I want to get some board games and go to some more baseball games - to keep moving and stay motivated:)

John Lennon once said "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I haven't had the best relationship with my dad over the past few years. For silly reasons at best. My own plans seem to have gotten in the way and I forgot how important life truly is. Not many people have a second chance and I'm so happy to have that with him now regardless of the circumstances:)

So what can you do to help?

1- If anyone has any experience with this type of thing or has went through cancer treatment please PM or post advice for my mom and I. I'm sure there are lots of cancer-related advice forums/resources on the internet about this because a lot of people are affected by it every day.

2- Do you know of any clinical studies or treatment centers in Georgia? The Southeast, anywhere in the country? Have you had any exprience with them?

3- Any suggestions for types of foods? We're trying to stay away from hard solids or things that are acidic - but things like oatmeal seem to work well. He's been eating Brocolli Cheese Soup from a place called Panera Bread Company, lots of milkshakes, pudding worked well last night, banana's, etc... We even found a popcorn without kernels that works well. We can't do eggs or anything with seasoning though. Haven't been successful with grilled foods - but my mom bought some mashed potatos to try. He likes gatorade as well.

4- Prayers and mojo are certainly welcome too:)

We're gonna beat this thing and come out better than before!

Thanks,
Chris

Comments

  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #2
    Welcome
    Hello Chris and your mom and dad. Welcome to our loving, caring, ec family! You have come to a wonderful site. There is also a great caregivers discussion board you will benefit from. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed away in March from ec with mets to the liver. He put up a good, strong 16 month battle. We had a great 16 months with him. My dad's ec did go into remission for one year. Then it metastasized to his liver. Do not give up hope. Everyone is different, everyone reacts to treatment differently. Take this one step at a time. I always suggest getting a second opinion. We did with my dad, and he lived 10 months longer than his first opinion. I am not familiar with Georgia, I am in Virginia. I know that you will receive many replys, and someone will tell you the best place to go. Ask a lot of questions, get the answers, start a journal, pray, pray, and pray some more! Have a positive attitude, have a strong faith. Keep in touch, and know that we are all here for you. We will be praying.
    Tina
  • sandy1943
    sandy1943 Member Posts: 824
    #3
    Welcome Chris, I am a new
    Welcome Chris, I am a new comer to the sight. You are so lucky to connect with this site so soon after diagnosis. Everyone has such good advice. I was diagnosed in 2007 with stage 3 that also effected 2 lymph nodes in the stomach. Even though my daughter and I looked for a site such as this, we didn't find it until now. I also am from Georgia. Even though I had the ivor Lewis procedure, I did very well. I never had radiation-just chemo. My doctor was chief of thoracic surgery at Emory hosipital. He is well known a thoracic surgeon. He has since retired from there and went to Piedmont Hosipital. I receive excellent care from him, my gastrologist and my encologists. I am so blessed I do, Because after reading and studying from all the posts ,I agree with William and the others. Get 2nd opinions and know always what is going on. When I started my journey, my family became very close. There had been a rift between my three children and me. They found out how much we all love and need each other and we're once again a close knit family.God is so good in opening eyes to the important things in life.
    Now for the eating. I've had a lot of problems with swallowing since my surgery, caused from scar tissue, After my 3rd dilation, I am swallowing better. I got agravated at not being able to eat meats, so I started grating them in a mini food processor---Roast beef ,grilled barbecue chicken etc. Taste just as good and it didn't stick.
  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #4
    Chris, here are some Cancer Centers close to you
    Hello Chris,

    Welcome to our group. I know it is frightening to hear the word “Cancer” but there have been many improvements in treatment options in the last few years. Outcomes are improving everyday.

    You will find people on this board in all stages of cancer. What we all have in common is that we are SURVIVORS. We are here to help each other and we are here to help your dad.

    I am 61 and was diagnosed with Stage 2B Esophageal Cancer last October. In December I had surgery followed by 5 months of chemotherapy. I am currently NED (no evidence of disease), something all cancer survivors want to hear.

    I know right now you want to get treatment started as quickly as possible. Although time is of the essence in treating cancer, I agree with William, in that you should get a second opinion from a recognized cancer center. Typical diagnostic testing to appropriately stage and define a treatment plan for esophageal cancer includes:

    1. Endoscopic Ultrasound to define the extent the tumor has penetrated the esophagus and if it has involved surrounding structures (e.g. lymph nodes)
    2. PET or CT scans to investigate and eliminate potential spread to other organs (e.g. metastasis)

    This will allow your surgeon and oncologist to define the “stage” of cancer and define a treatment plan that may or may not include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

    If surgery is defined as appropriate I would encourage your dad to get that surgery done at a center that has experience with esophageal cancer. Please understand I am not talking about a hospital that has a thoracic surgery department that does a few each year. I am talking about a center that does many every year and has surgeons that have a specialty interest in Esophageal Cancer. If you dad is like me, he will want to stay close to home because it seems simpler. After all, who wants to travel and stay in strange places when you feel physically and mentally drained? But there is great value in getting treatment from a hospital that has the skill and resources to handle complex surgery like this.

    You asked about leading treatment centers in the Southeast. I have listed below in order of ranking the leading centers that are fairly close to you:

    Ranked Number 1

    University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
    1515 Holcombe Boulevard
    Houston, TX 77030-4095
    (713) 792–2121
    www.mdanderson.org

    Ranked Number 12

    Duke University Medical Center
    2301 Erwin Road
    Durham, NC 27710-0001
    (919) 684–8111
    www.dukehealth.org

    Ranked Number 19

    Moffitt Cancer Center
    12902 Magnolia Drive
    Tampa, FL 33612-9497
    (888) 663–3488
    www.insidemoffitt.com

    Here is a site reference for the national rankings for the leading cancer centers in the US

    http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer

    If surgery is an option, be sure to investigate what type of surgery is available for your dad not only locally but at centers that can provide a minimally invasive surgical approach using laparoscopic technology. The recovery is much easier from that approach than an “open” Ivor Lewis approach that includes two large incisions that can take months to heal.

    I know this is all a bit overwhelming to deal with at this point and the feeling is you need to rush to get the cancer taken care of as fast as possible. From past experience I would suggest.

    1. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that cancer is no longer a ‘death sentence” and can be treated even in advanced stages.”
    2. Ignore the “statistics” they refer to past treatment approaches that are not current and your dad is a statistic of 1.
    3. Taking time to do some research to insure your dad receives the most current treatment available is valuable.
    4. If you’re current medical team questions the value of a second opinion, that is all the more reason why you need one.

    I was a bit surprised there was no leading cancer centers listed in Atlanta, but there does not seem to be. I know Cancer Treatment Centers of America is planning on building a location outside Atlanta but that is next year sometime.

    I hope this information is helpful

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams
    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0
    12/03/2010 Ivor Lewis
    2/8 – 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
    6/21/2010 CT Scan NED
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    #5
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