Hi guys. Sending love to you all. We have just lost my mum to this cancer after only 6 months post surgery. My advice push for the chemo after and push for all the scans you can get after too. If this had been possible for mum then she might still be here. Xx

Hi

I too would advise, push push push.  My brother had been visiting his GP since March with fears of this dreadful cancer and was pooh poohed and told it was acid reflux.  Eventually at the end of August he had an endoscopy and a biopsy.  By this time he had lost 1 and half stones in 6 weeks.  He was rushed into hospital on 20th September, and passed away on 25th October without having had any treatment.  I could go into far more detail but would not wish to distress anyone on this forum.  It was obviously too late for him and I find it extremely upsetting that in spite of him doing the right thing and going to his doctor, (and advising the doctor that his paternal grandfather had died of the same disease) he was sent away and not seen to in sufficient time to give him a few months quality of life.  

Make a nuisance of yourself, push and push for scans and tests and treasure every moment you have xx

Hi,

Not an easy post to write. As you say you are young and fit and there are people who defy the odds, including a guy Dave who has posted on here. The cancer nurses are so good and I hope your Chemo goes to plan.

keeping the faith for you and everyone 

Milly 

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I intend to fight tooth and nail, I just need the chemo on my side. My wife suggested that we should get away for a few days before my chemo started, so she booked somewhere in Torquay for last week, she wouldn't tell me exactly where, but whe we arrived, all 3 of my "kids" were there with their partners and my 5 wonderful grandchildren. It really was the shock of my life, they all stayed the whole week. It was a beautiful 7 bedroom house, all en suite, a piano room, (I am learning piano), a stocked bar, a heated pool and hot tub. It was the best week of my life, and it has certainly given me even more strength to fight this horrendous disease. I feel so blessed to have all the love and support that I do. I don't intend on losing it all any time soon xxx

How wonderful - keep fighting x

Oh Ian

How wonderful! Just what you all needed. So lovely to be surrounded by your family. Special times to help keep you fighting and your spirits up. Thank goodness COVID restrictions have lifted. We had the added restrictions posed by that! You have the right attitude and take a day at a time.
My advice would be definitely ask the chemo nurses if you have side affects as they have lots of meds/advice which can help. My husband found drinking water regularly including when he woke up at night helped and he used Aveeno on his skin to stop the dryness. He also drank pomegranate juice as it is good for your platelets. The dietitians are a good source of information too.

keeping the faith

Milly

Well, hi y'all, 

Another  little flurry while we've been MIA again (:

Ian, never apologise for being quiet, or anything else- we all dip in and out , with missing bits, when we are in some sort of twighlight zone. Okay, so your little unwelcome guest have been on the move, honestly they are like fleas (: - now, I think I said previously that palliative does not mean check,out, it means treatment of a chronic condition.with the way modern chemo works is pretty good at what it does = cell murder, and 2 on here have had chemo, then immunotherapy, so there is quite a lot they can do for your unwelcome guest. Chemo is no fun, BUT, as Millie says, you just tell them about pesky side effects, the biggie being nausea as there is a lot of tweaking that can be done. Supurb you had a family weekend away and here is to a few more xx

Millie- ye I know what you mean about another thread, with the 'old timers' moving on, and the odd touch base, but on the other hand, I like being on this one as maybe it gives others hope, but I guess our 'experience' might be a bit upbeat if one is in the thick of it(: oh not sure.

What have we have been up to , well I could not let the Queen go off without something- so we decided on the hoof to go to London- ended up doing the walk past - don't ask! All I will say is 10 hours! We felt so fit and healthy- NOT the next day (today) that we went to the send off as well, prime seats at the front of course- not (: ended up up in Hyde park, big screens, Big Ben and big big guns, my feet now look and feel like spam ):. The whole thing was utterly stunning, I found the whole Windsor bit (home by then) required a large box of tissues- incredible- particularly her horse , Emma and the corgi's xx

Anyway take care y'all and 

keep keeping that faith

Hilts x

Hi Hilts,

Well you won't believe this but our paths have crossed. We were in Hyde Park yesterday but we opted to stand and wait for the Hearse  and see the Queen's coffin as unlike you we didn't go twice as we were in Portsmouth for the week before and live further away. We went into the Park to watch Her Majesty travel to Windsor and the service there. I found that emotional. Sad but not tragic. . I'm a Royalist but I think you'd be hard pressed to deny her dedication to our country. So another connection to add to our list!

Yes I know what you mean re thread as hearing positive stories does help. Also if newcomers to this thread have questions they can ask and hopefully we can offer some advice. My husband did have an episode of dumping yesterday on the train back and he spent most of the journey back on the loo!  so I had to alert the staff in case he was on the loo as we got to our station! The guard was really good and alerted the driver. Fortunately we got off the train and he was Ok on the short car journey home. He's been doing great with  no issues for about a month. He's still in bed today as it's took it out of him. It's unsettling but hopefully these episodes as he calls them are deminishing . For information he takes Imodium and Dioralyte to replace the salt, electrolytes etc. 

Anyways still keeping the faith

Milly

Hey MIllie,

Who'd a thought it. We may well have been standing next to each other !!!. My legs are still killing me- but for once Hub's didn't stuff his guts (what's left of them) all at once. He was restricted in portion size as we were eating on the move. He did swallow a fair few glucose tabs en route , more because he likes them I think. No , dumping this time, which is rare (: but most importantly- we pulled it off (:

keep the faith

hilts

Hi Hilts

Sounds as if you had a great time - well done xx. I wanted to go to Windsor - which is really close to me - but the new supplement was really playing up so didn't dare !!   What glucose sweets does hubby take - sounds like a good idea??

Kerpin the faith

Andi xx

Ah, Andi,

Yes, It was amazing, but my legs are not very happy at all!

We are not far from Windsor, up the road, place with a few colleges, we went in August as I had not been since 1977 and just fancied it (: we sat is St. George's chapel, just above the vault (: 

The glucose tablets- yep, suggestion from one of the local fellow travellers. They are the ones diabetics use, even though a diabetic friend of mine just uses fruit pastels when feeling a tad wobbly. We get them from a well known supermarket beginning with S . Or huge boxes from a on line large retailer beginning with A(: they are called dextroenergy and come in loads of flavours, sweets essentially, but melt rapidly. Hubs uses them, but then has to follow up with a carb rich snack- as diabetics do.

There are loads on the market, but these are dirt cheap and very effective- always on the bottom shelves , with the more expensive (same thing) more in the eye line

Keep that faith y'all

Hilts

Hi Steve, 

don't know if I have responded, sorry if not.

welcome to the club no one wants to be in! (:

Calories - quite literally anything she can get down. Not a time to be 'health conscious'- not that we ever were (:. When Husband was first diagnosed, he shovelled melted cheese in to everything , lashings of olive oil, butter, cream etc, so soup with what I've mentioned, milk shakes made with cream. The standard supliments are pretty rank, so go with what she likes, with your own additions.

I have to say, going in for an oesophagectomy within a month of diagnosis is not 'usual', but do come back if you like with a fuller picture. There are quite a few of us on here who are 'well experienced' in the whole thing.

hilts

Hi Steve, 

don't know if I have responded, sorry if not.

welcome to the club no one wants to be in! (:

Calories - quite literally anything she can get down. Not a time to be 'health conscious'- not that we ever were (:. When Husband was first diagnosed, he shovelled melted cheese in to everything , lashings of olive oil, butter, cream etc, so soup with what I've mentioned, milk shakes made with cream. The standard supliments are pretty rank, so go with what she likes, with your own additions.

I have to say, going in for an oesophagectomy within a month of diagnosis is not 'usual', but do come back if you like with a fuller picture. There are quite a few of us on here who are 'well experienced' in the whole thing.

hilts