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

Okay, back now.

Been to town for daughter 'retail therapy' mmm seems I bankroll it (:. Dinner done, eaten and all quiet on the western front- for 10 mins !

So, indeed , welcome Andy. Although, none of us want to be here, we have all become pretty good at being here - dare I say I quite like coming these days. So through the good and bad, we all pretty much spill 'in private' LOL -I think the anonymity of it is what gives us such freedom.

Bit of an emotional Father's Day for husband today, it is the 1st one post surreal year and he is still here- yay

Anyhows- we are increasing by the day and as I have said many time - we seem to multiplying like rabbits and as common as muck (((::

I am not the victim, my husband is thus, I am the watcher. I wonder if your diagnosis process read like most of us on here. My 56 yr old husband started having  'grippy guts' March 2020. GP = standard omeprazole. Month later, no improvement whatsoever ever and around the same time, food 'clogging ' started. Endoscopy on 29th July endoscopy, official with plan August 8th, stage 2, N0, M0 1st FLOT 5th September, oesophagectomy Op, dec 16th, pathalogical staging Stage 1b, N0, M0-finished post op FLOT about 23 march.  Back at work 10th may.  A whirlwind or what i refer to as a rollercoaster that keeps on coasting!
He is officially 'disease free'  (dare I say for now!)and on the Aspirin trial.

The emotional stuff is almost worse than the physical stuff. We still look at each other and say "what just happened"!!!!. Most of the time we are okay, then out of nowhere, comes a 'moment'. 
I am afraid I have encouraged some bad behaviour in the club, when my husband was so pleased he ate a pie a few weeks post op, and is now over the moon that he can manage 4 pints!!

So please ask away on here, none of us are medics, just very expert  in the 'lived experience' LOL. 
Doug- yep, we did that too, during the post op FLOT, he felt very sick with no appetite, so shoved about a pint a day down the jej, just to keep hydrated until he felt better. Kept the wee like straw TMI LOL

Millie- that is great, in terms of his eating, that is a good load and tasty stuff too- trust me, it only gets better n better, or maybe worse and worse, in terms of having a crack at anything- I think the big thing for my husband was the return of confidence, knowing that the clogging had gone and he wasn't going to be hawking it back, you'll be quite surprised how quickly the four pints will happen.......

Keep the faith

HILTS

Hi Hilts, and all!

We have been quietly 'enjoying' chemo free time, ahead of possible radiotherapy. My husband had a PET scan a couple of weeks ago, to see how his mets on his lungs etc were. We got an ominous call yesterday (fathers day) at 5:30pm, asking us togo in to the hospital today at 9am, as the results were 'complicated'. Needless to say didn't  sleep well! 
 

After a lot of waffling, the doctor announced that my husband is in fact in full REMISSION! Cancer free! 
we just couldn't believe it, and are still in shock, albeit a very lovely kind of shock this time, it just soesnt seem possible after all these months of fearing the worst that he is clear. 
 

I am aware it might come back at some point, but for now, we are celebrating, And feeling very lucky. 
I hope that everyone here gets the same good news too, I wish you all very well and am very grateful that this forum was here when I thought we had no hope at all. It really helped. Thank you x

Hi Daisy

Wow thats fantastic to hear , you can take it easy now and best wishes for the future.

regatds

Douglas

Thank you and I hope you remain well Douglas x

Hi Daisy,

that is amazing news, so happy for you both

x

Wow Daisy that is absolutely brilliant news! So pleased for you both! So good to hear! This will inspire so many others  on here.

Yes celebrate in style. 
 

keeping the faith

Milly

OMG OMG OMG, 

DAISY71!!!!!!
OMG- oh I'll stop now and try and stop the OMG.

That is such fantastic news, I am actually sitting here, all smiling and not quite sure what to do with myself or say.

What you guys must be feeling is probably beyond words. You are probably looking at each other and thinking ' did we hear the doc correctly', is it true etc etc.

Isn't it weird how we have all never met , but such news from us lot is air punchingly good.

I have fences that needs some work- if he's 'bored' like ((((::::

May Shepard's pie remain OFF the menu for many years to come ((::

we all keeping the faith

All my very best wishes

Hilts

Hi Milly

That's great news on the eating - it's been a huge postive for me too looking at the number of issues that some people seem to acquire post op.

Just this dammed effusion to sort out - I think your Fffs deserved a few more f's, but again it's good that your consultant is not resting and pushing your case.

Keeping the ffffaith

bfg

Hi Daisy, that's fantastic news, it's so good to hear positive outcomes...good luck

Lee 

Hi Daisy, that's fantastic news, it's so good to hear positive outcomes...good luck

Lee