dad update. one week of treatment left!

peachycream
peachycream Member Posts: 33
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
So dad has done amazing with his treatments! Only about four days total of any sort of nausea, kept all his hair, no mouth sores, etc. He just finished chemo and he has one week left of radiation. Just this week he started experience horrible reflux and he can barely swallow. Has anyone experienced this and have it go away after you healed from the radiation treatment? Should we wait and see how he does, or go ahead and ask about stretching his esophagus?

Besides that, everything is good. We did go ahead and get him some fluids. We will be headed back home to Mississippi after his treatment ends, and will be back in six weeks for more tests and to see where we go from here.

I hope everyone else is doing well!

Comments

  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #2
    Hey Peachy!
    Glad to hear
    Hey Peachy!
    Glad to hear from you. Congrats to dad for doing so well with his treatments! I would ask the dr about the acid reflux. Sometimes the radiation causes scar tissue to form in the esophagus, closing it up some. He might in the future need a dialation or a stent put in to open it more. Best of luck to you. Will he now be having the surgery? Keep in touch.
    Tina
  • peachycream
    peachycream Member Posts: 33
    #3
    Tina Blondek said:

    Hey Peachy!
    Glad to hear
    Hey Peachy!
    Glad to hear from you. Congrats to dad for doing so well with his treatments! I would ask the dr about the acid reflux. Sometimes the radiation causes scar tissue to form in the esophagus, closing it up some. He might in the future need a dialation or a stent put in to open it more. Best of luck to you. Will he now be having the surgery? Keep in touch.
    Tina

    Well, they said he wasn't a
    Well, they said he wasn't a candidate because he has sleep apnea, a past stroke, and has had seizures. they said it was too risky. However, as bad as these things sound, he is in great health, and still walks, drives, cooks, etc., after the stroke (which was almost six years ago). The only real problem he had was with his speech, and the stroke was the cause of him to have a seizure. So... I'm not sure what they will say. Maybe more treatment when we go back? We are just thankful he has done so great and hasn't needed a feeding tube or anything. Hopefully everything will work out for him. I'm praying the treatment alone will put him in remission. We are at MD Anderson, so hopefully they will do the best they can.
  • K_ann1015
    K_ann1015 Member Posts: 500
    #4
    Hi Peachy---my dad too had
    Hi Peachy---my dad too had increasing difficulty & pain with swallowing during the end of his radiation Rx---It was really hard for him---he forced himself to take ensure if he couldn't take anything else. The good news is that it definitely GOT BETTER for him. I don't know if our dads situation were the same---but just wanted you to know that those radiation burns did heal.
    Kim
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #5
    K_ann1015 said:

    Hi Peachy---my dad too had
    Hi Peachy---my dad too had increasing difficulty & pain with swallowing during the end of his radiation Rx---It was really hard for him---he forced himself to take ensure if he couldn't take anything else. The good news is that it definitely GOT BETTER for him. I don't know if our dads situation were the same---but just wanted you to know that those radiation burns did heal.
    Kim

    Great news. Prayers and a
    Great news. Prayers and a positive attitude can make a difference. Talk to the doctors before you leave Houston and discuss your options before you leave. I would think any type of treatment should be done at MD Anderson and not in Mississippi.

    My dad had difficulty eating about halfway through his 30 radiation treatments --- said he felt it was like a sunburn inside his body so he couldn't eat. Thank God they put the feeding tube in and he now is getting nutrition that way and trying to eat soft and liquid food.

    Good luck and keep us updated

    Cindy

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