Newbie

Lee Christensen
Lee Christensen Member Posts: 49 Member
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
I'm a newbie to this board so, please bare with me. A little info about me 56 year old male
and just received the news about having this cancer. We(my wife &I) meet with the surgeon yesterday, and let me tell you he scared the HELL out me, with the treatment plan.
So, now I'm trying to find out more and what I should do. So, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Comments

  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member
    #2
    Keep your Chin up we all been there
    Welcome to our board Lee, getting news like this right before the holidays is not good news to get. But please explain a little more of your diagnosis what stage? what did doctor report? Surgery? Chemo? Where do you live? Jeff was diagnosed at the age of 45 on April Fools day in 09 we were as shocked as you, went in for a scope on his gallbladder and found a tumor in his esophogus, he was a stage 2, he went through 3 rounds of chemo and had the IVOR LEWIS surgery on July 21, 2009. He did great through the surgery, just had complications on other things. It took him a long time to recouperate, but it was so worth the surgery, he still goes to the doctor every 3 months and gets a complete scan and he has been without no cancer now for almost a year, which is a blessing, i will tell you, you have to learn how to eat all over no more big huge meals alot of small little meals, you will ride a very bumpy and long roller coaster, you will ask yourself why me? you will go through alot of things you never imagined, but at the end of this journey you will be grateful.

    Please give us your treatment plan so that we can help you and let you know if any of us has had the same and an guide you through your journey.

    I know your wife and you are scared but you will get through this journey, and this horrible roller coaster you have to ride to get there.

    You will see this is a very good site, we have some that is not even able to have surgery, we have some that has had surgery and doing okay but we are all here for the same reason, and so we vent, cry, laugh,discuss and try to help each other along this roller coaster ride. We were one of the ones blessed and able for treatment but there is alot of them that is not as lucky as others.

    There is the IVOR LEWIS SURGERY and there is the MIE surgery (which i am sure William Marshall will be on later to tell you all about that so pull up a chair cause he goes into great detail and takes a long time to read his letter ) but either one is just as good as the other, some insurances won't pay for certain things and you have to do what is best for you and the family not what we tell you or what someone else tells you but do what is best for LEE AND HIS WIFE, but we are here if you need us.

    I will be glad to help you in any way I can and you are welcome to go back and read anything on my blogs about all the journey's and road i took from 09 to present.

    SO get ready and tell your wife to PULL UP THE BIG GIRL PANTIES and you THE BIG BOY UNDERWEAR, AND HANG ON TO THIS JOURNEY OF ROLLER COASTER RIDES.

    BEST TO YOU
    LORI/MOE 58
  • nancyann3
    nancyann3 Member Posts: 173 Member
    #3
    MOE58 said:

    Keep your Chin up we all been there
    Welcome to our board Lee, getting news like this right before the holidays is not good news to get. But please explain a little more of your diagnosis what stage? what did doctor report? Surgery? Chemo? Where do you live? Jeff was diagnosed at the age of 45 on April Fools day in 09 we were as shocked as you, went in for a scope on his gallbladder and found a tumor in his esophogus, he was a stage 2, he went through 3 rounds of chemo and had the IVOR LEWIS surgery on July 21, 2009. He did great through the surgery, just had complications on other things. It took him a long time to recouperate, but it was so worth the surgery, he still goes to the doctor every 3 months and gets a complete scan and he has been without no cancer now for almost a year, which is a blessing, i will tell you, you have to learn how to eat all over no more big huge meals alot of small little meals, you will ride a very bumpy and long roller coaster, you will ask yourself why me? you will go through alot of things you never imagined, but at the end of this journey you will be grateful.

    Please give us your treatment plan so that we can help you and let you know if any of us has had the same and an guide you through your journey.

    I know your wife and you are scared but you will get through this journey, and this horrible roller coaster you have to ride to get there.

    You will see this is a very good site, we have some that is not even able to have surgery, we have some that has had surgery and doing okay but we are all here for the same reason, and so we vent, cry, laugh,discuss and try to help each other along this roller coaster ride. We were one of the ones blessed and able for treatment but there is alot of them that is not as lucky as others.

    There is the IVOR LEWIS SURGERY and there is the MIE surgery (which i am sure William Marshall will be on later to tell you all about that so pull up a chair cause he goes into great detail and takes a long time to read his letter ) but either one is just as good as the other, some insurances won't pay for certain things and you have to do what is best for you and the family not what we tell you or what someone else tells you but do what is best for LEE AND HIS WIFE, but we are here if you need us.

    I will be glad to help you in any way I can and you are welcome to go back and read anything on my blogs about all the journey's and road i took from 09 to present.

    SO get ready and tell your wife to PULL UP THE BIG GIRL PANTIES and you THE BIG BOY UNDERWEAR, AND HANG ON TO THIS JOURNEY OF ROLLER COASTER RIDES.

    BEST TO YOU
    LORI/MOE 58

    Sorry you have to be here....
    Lori is right, tell us your treatment plan and we can give you pointers on how to keep on top of things. Everyone responds to treatment differently, but their are some common things that can help and I would have never known without the people here.

    My hubby is 50 stage 3. DX in Feb 2010.

    Nancy
  • Lee Christensen
    Lee Christensen Member Posts: 49 Member
    #4
    nancyann3 said:

    Sorry you have to be here....
    Lori is right, tell us your treatment plan and we can give you pointers on how to keep on top of things. Everyone responds to treatment differently, but their are some common things that can help and I would have never known without the people here.

    My hubby is 50 stage 3. DX in Feb 2010.

    Nancy

    So Far
    I have had the EGD that found the problem, we were looking to eliminate things because we thought it was a heart problem. But got this one instead. Sincs then I have had a CT scan, PET scan. results unknown at this time.
    Meet with surgeon after Pet scan, and he kinda explained the treatment, chemo, radiation, 6 to 8 weeks, then wait two weeks for surgery. It was his discription of the surgery that upset me the most. Don't know if you would care to hear what he had to say.
    So, I will find out on Tuesday more answers. Haven't really found out what stage yet. Has to do a EGD with echo yet.
    Looking foward to info from everybody.

    Thank You
    Will keep you informed
  • K_ann1015
    K_ann1015 Member Posts: 500
    #5
    hang in there---you can fight this...
    Lee,

    Hang in there---this is so scary, but there are many out there that have been through and "lived to tell the tale"! My dad is one- dx'd 8/4/09 rad. chemo, then surgery at DUKE 12/09 and follow up chemo. He is clear now but still very thin as he was thin to begin with. He has been able to get back to light duty with his local volunteer fire dept (driving tricks, directing traffic, etc---often in the middle of the night) even though he is almost 72. He had stage 3. HE can eat most things but still has to make himself eat every 2 hours or so and can have large quantities. They did not get on this site, but I would share some of the info. I wanted all of the info I could find, which I would not recommend for some-because it can be disheartening.

    Where do live? Are you able to go to a large specialized cancer center, possibly teaching center? They need to see a lot of EC patients because this is one of the most complicated surgeries there is. My dads surgeon (a cardio thoracic surgeon) told him it is second only to some heart surgeries in it's complexity.

    You'll need to know what stage EC you are. You will need to get ready for the fight of your life. It can be done---you have to know this---a statistic is not for everyone! It's ok to educate yourself--but don't assume that you are in the negative part of the stats!!!

    Stay on this site to ask questions---I know no others that were able to answer questions except those on this site. And when you don't want to burden friends, neighbors and family anymore with your fears, concerns and questions---no one here minds ONE BIT if you ask it here!!!! They have all been through it and help each other out.

    Take a deep breath, say a prayer, educate your self on questions to ask,,, there is a fella named WIlliam who will probably reply and may have more onfo---but here is one link to help you:
    http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Esophageal+Cancer?sectionTitle=Questions to Ask the Doctor

    Try to enjoy your family as you negotiate your fears. and again Lee---you can fight this!
    God Bless
    kim p
  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member
    #6
    Lee Christensen said:

    So Far
    I have had the EGD that found the problem, we were looking to eliminate things because we thought it was a heart problem. But got this one instead. Sincs then I have had a CT scan, PET scan. results unknown at this time.
    Meet with surgeon after Pet scan, and he kinda explained the treatment, chemo, radiation, 6 to 8 weeks, then wait two weeks for surgery. It was his discription of the surgery that upset me the most. Don't know if you would care to hear what he had to say.
    So, I will find out on Tuesday more answers. Haven't really found out what stage yet. Has to do a EGD with echo yet.
    Looking foward to info from everybody.

    Thank You
    Will keep you informed

    WE DO CARE PLEASE TELL
    Thats how we help each other is for you tell us what he said yes it can be frightening but like i said this roller coaster starts at the beginning and then slowly will take you on a journey of your life. I see you have had many responders, so this should tell you something, please let us know and continue to get all the info so we can guide you the right roller coaster, like i said you will hit alot of bumps in the road but you can and will get through it, you have to believe you will fight the beast, and get it all out to where you will have NED yes as I said they put Jeff under cause of gallbladder and then found this beast we never know what GOD has in store for us, but do know on this site we care.

    Please post us something

    Lori
  • Lee Christensen
    Lee Christensen Member Posts: 49 Member
    #7
    K_ann1015 said:

    hang in there---you can fight this...
    Lee,

    Hang in there---this is so scary, but there are many out there that have been through and "lived to tell the tale"! My dad is one- dx'd 8/4/09 rad. chemo, then surgery at DUKE 12/09 and follow up chemo. He is clear now but still very thin as he was thin to begin with. He has been able to get back to light duty with his local volunteer fire dept (driving tricks, directing traffic, etc---often in the middle of the night) even though he is almost 72. He had stage 3. HE can eat most things but still has to make himself eat every 2 hours or so and can have large quantities. They did not get on this site, but I would share some of the info. I wanted all of the info I could find, which I would not recommend for some-because it can be disheartening.

    Where do live? Are you able to go to a large specialized cancer center, possibly teaching center? They need to see a lot of EC patients because this is one of the most complicated surgeries there is. My dads surgeon (a cardio thoracic surgeon) told him it is second only to some heart surgeries in it's complexity.

    You'll need to know what stage EC you are. You will need to get ready for the fight of your life. It can be done---you have to know this---a statistic is not for everyone! It's ok to educate yourself--but don't assume that you are in the negative part of the stats!!!

    Stay on this site to ask questions---I know no others that were able to answer questions except those on this site. And when you don't want to burden friends, neighbors and family anymore with your fears, concerns and questions---no one here minds ONE BIT if you ask it here!!!! They have all been through it and help each other out.

    Take a deep breath, say a prayer, educate your self on questions to ask,,, there is a fella named WIlliam who will probably reply and may have more onfo---but here is one link to help you:
    http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Esophageal+Cancer?sectionTitle=Questions to Ask the Doctor

    Try to enjoy your family as you negotiate your fears. and again Lee---you can fight this!
    God Bless
    kim p

    Wisconsin, anybody know of
    Wisconsin, anybody know of any clinics here?
  • sandy1943
    sandy1943 Member Posts: 824
    #8
    Lee Christensen said:

    Wisconsin, anybody know of
    Wisconsin, anybody know of any clinics here?

    Lee, I was diagnosed in 2007
    Lee, I was diagnosed in 2007 right before thanksgiving. I had chemo follwed by surgery. I am now testing disease free. It is a shocking thing to hear the word cancer. I was very surprised, never suspecting anything like that. It's good that your doctor is talking openly to you, even though it is scary. There are differnt surgeries. Make sure you research. I know others will be on explaining in detail the difference. I wish I had found this site before my surgery and knew what I know now. There are so many on here that can help you as you go thru this journey, even if its just to listen and pray for you.
    Sandra

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