Hi Pascha,

Firstly, sorry to hear of your diagnosis as Bfg and Lee said 'Welcome' to what Hilts calls the Oesophagus club!

You are braver than me too as, like Bfg,  I didn't join for a while after my husband's diagnosis. We are a friendly bunch with different stories and experiences but there is a lot of positives too. I was overwhelmed at the start but my husband was more pragmatic. Googled lots - mainly NHS as there are  lots of American sites but also remember that the statistics are out of date and cover a whole range of people including age, general health etc all lumped into one.

Everyone reacts differently but I have found 'walking the line' the best way I try not to look too far back or forward - easier said than done at times. I won't waffle anymore but this group of 'strangers' who I now feel are fellow friends have helped me enormously as a patient's wife and I hope you find it helpful to as you start your own journey in this theme park! (Mainly riding a rollercoaster with a few dogems thrown in as I think Bfg said?)

Keeping the faith (Hilts got me doing this!)

Milly

Welly said Milly!

Well said Milly! Sorry for the misspelling! I am away for a night and slightly drunk ! Have a good day! It's a good idea to 'get away from everything for an occasional dat'

Hi,

Ive just been directed onto this thread, not even sure I'm posting correctly ‍♀️
anyhoo, I was diagnosed with stage 4 oesophageal cancer in 2018, mts to lymph and liver (4), told I'd probably have 5 months no treatment, 11 months with, fast forward 2 years and 7 months later I'm still here. Various lines of chemo later, my latest scan CT and MRI have shown that there are now only two mets in the liver, one 11mm and the other 10mm, nothing in the oesophagus or lymph nodes. So from being definitely not operable they are now offering surgery. I have a zoom consultation with the Prof on Wednesday so will find out exactly what's on the table as it were! was 56 years old female when first diagnosed, non smoker and didn't drink, only symptom was food getting a bit stuck! 
ive read all the threads to this and must say I'm pretty trepidatious about the surgery but as it is potentially a game changer, I'm not going to refuse it.

Hi Tabnabs, it's great to hear you story- there's so many bad stories with this cancer and especially stage 4 (as my Dad has), that it's really refreshing to hear your story. Was it just chemotherapy that you've had- I've heard of people having better success with immunotherapy?

You've cheered me up with that news...I'm going straight to share your news with my Dad 

Lee

Oh my oh my.

My suspicions seem to be coming true. We are breeding faster than rabbits!
i have been 'off ' for a week or so and I come back and there a more of us again LOL (:

Welcome to Pascha - you are now a member of the oesophageal club and Tabnabs- seem you have been a member for a while- but what an inspirational member you are, talk about an amazing turn around and state of affairs. How did you find us?
Seems that even when things seem 'hopeless' they are evidently not. So Leechaps, there you have it. Told you there a few 'stage4's about didn't I (:
 

As most of you probably know I am an ex nurse, left in about 1990. Most cancers back then really were not good news at all, not that they are great fun these days,chemo was pretty basic and radio similar. Surgery was the only 'fair crack' option and now as we know cancers cells are way to 'clever' for that sometimes. I have been told that cockroaches can survive  a nuclear meltdown- well, that puts cockroaches in the same ball park as cancer cells in my opinion(: It truly is amazing how far we have come. As I always say to my mate at work who lost her mum about 15 yrs ago to ovarian- to be where we are now is thanx to all those who have gone before. She finds it rather 'comforting' to know that her Mum's is part of a legacy that improves year on year.

Anyway- enough of the smaltz. (:

Hope everyone is sweating their pants off in the tropical heat (: . My husband (the victim) has been swimming in the river most of the day with the kids. Now got a reasonable tan , which makes him look really well again, got rid of that chemo pastyness.

Update on his 'progress' -initial part of the 'add aspirin' trial over, sees oncologist on Wednesday to see progress and take up the 5 yr aspirin (fingers x) or the placebo ):. Sees surgeon on Thursday to discuss the 'cough' to decide where to go with it. In saying that though it had massively improved doubling the dose of omeprazole to 80. So maybe he won't need a scope?? Nothing surprises me on this rollercoaster any more......
 

We all have seemingly been pretty quiet lately . I've lost count how many of us there are now!! in this Oesophageal club, but so glad we are all together through the good and the bad.

Going to 'top up' my (ginger, non existent) tan,

Always keeping the faith

Hilts

Hi Tabnabs,

This is such an inspirational post and thank you for sharing your story with us all. Regarding  surgery everyone is unique so there are lots of different experiences. My husbands actual surgery couldn't have gone better what happened a week later was just plain unlucky. The hospital has done a review as it's never happened in 20 years of doing the operation. However they saved him and he is now home.

I hope your consultation goes well and it's great that you've joined this thread. A real boost for Lee and his dad too.

Keeping the faith

Milly

Hi Lee,

I had chemo first year, second year was targeted therapy and last round was FOLFIRI.

Please tell your Dad that there is always hope, that's what my consultant told me at the beginning and my wonderful sister in law, who is a Pastor said "you can accept the diagnosis but you don't have to accept the prognosis "  and that's what I've always hung on to! 
Gerrie

Thanks, sending best wishes to your husband and you of course!