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

Wow thats quite a different journey to most of us on here and very encouraging to all those starting a stage 4  diagnosis  , us mere stage 2 mortals who have been treated over a year should count ourselves lucky , well i do anyway as i am 95% ok and cancer free now , its great to hear you are on the curative path now and i am sure everyone will be delighted for you , never worry about the surgery that is the easiest part and easy to cope with , i look forward to hearing  from you on here as you progress towards your cure , take it easy and god bless everyone on here.

regards

Douglas

Hi has anyone diagnosed stage 3 to fragile to have treatment. My uncle isn't wanting to eat anymore and he's sleeping all the time. He survived Covid in Feb this year and now under palliative care xx

I love him so much, suppose I'm feeling a bit helpless and wondering if there's anything I can do for him to help

Hi Jocosser

Sorry to hear that , i think your uncles situation is one for the clinicians rather than those of us who post on here ,  by the sound of things he is at a low ebb , you really need to get him eating even if its only milk custard yoghurt or soups , i have met with other patients who were feeding at home through a tube  ask if thats an option , i was fed by tube post operation for six weeks and it certainly helped me recover i know its a big challenge for you and thats really the only advice i can offer at this time , please try and get as much help via the NHS as possible they are the real experts , you take care and stay strong.

regards

Douglas

A massive thank you for thisDouglas, really put my mind at rest, and thanks for good wishes

Gerrie, aka Tabnabs

Hi Gerrie

Thanks and you are welcome to ask anything at anytime , we are all on here to help and share advice or information, you take care now.

Regards

Douglas

Hi all,

Just a quick question please. My husband still has his jeg and he is flushing it daily. He was given some syringes, two aluminium bowls plus a bottle is sterile water. He was advised to use cool boiled water as well. Due to everything that has happened I'm a bit concerned about infection and re using the equipment and water from the kettle. I do 'sterilize' the bowl and syringe with boiling water first. Any thoughts? 
Thanks

Keeping the faith

Milly

Howdee Millie, 

This is a v v quick post- unique for me, just about to leg it into town.

yep, the JeJ......

I think in the beginning we boiled the kettle and filled a clean squash bottle with it to flush through the the day. Any of those water flask type things will do. All the rest of the kit went in the dishwasher on 60 deg. 'Sterile' in hospital means autoclaved at some bonkers high temperature like 400 deg c. We cannot replicate that at home, so what is meant ( I found this out with baby kit) is as 'clean as it possibly can be' and dishwasher is certainly hot enough. I found the stitches around it were more of a pain, prone to getting a bit weepy and scabby, so we put a dressing over that to hold it in place and stop the stitches' pulling on tube and skin

shortermthan usual!

keeping it up and keeping  the faith

Hilts

Howdee Millie, 

This is a v v quick post- unique for me, just about to leg it into town.

yep, the JeJ......

I think in the beginning we boiled the kettle and filled a clean squash bottle with it to flush through the the day. Any of those water flask type things will do. All the rest of the kit went in the dishwasher on 60 deg. 'Sterile' in hospital means autoclaved at some bonkers high temperature like 400 deg c. We cannot replicate that at home, so what is meant ( I found this out with baby kit) is as 'clean as it possibly can be' and dishwasher is certainly hot enough. I found the stitches around it were more of a pain, prone to getting a bit weepy and scabby, so we put a dressing over that to hold it in place and stop the stitches' pulling on tube and skin

shortermthan usual!

keeping it up and keeping  the faith

Hilts