Hi Welshone

I am sorry to hear this very shocking and devastating news. I was in a similar position in early Dec 2021 when, out of the blue, my hubby was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer with mets to the lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Since then he has undergone 7 rounds of Xelox/Capox chemo although the start was delayed until 21 Jan due to Covid backlogs. Without the chemo he would not have stood a fighting chance. As it is, he responded well to the treatment, his eating improved and he suffered little or no pain, especially after Round 1. The side effects were uncomfortable, not pleasant but tolerable and he was able to continue with a generally good quality of life, even working part-time. He even kept his hair!

After 3 months the cancer was "stable". Sadly, 6 months on, the cancer seems to have finally caught up with him and the tumour is on the march again. Tonight, he is in hospital, struggling to eat or drink. We don't yet know how the prognosis is now looking but what I do know is that I am grateful for the last 6 months and for the precious time we spent together, knowing that time might be limited.. We lived in hope that we would beat this awful disease and we felt empowered to do so. 

No two people react to cancer or chemo in the same way, so it is impossible to predict "how long" someone has got.  Any figures are based on averages, not individuals and miracles do happen, beating the odds. But there is no doubt in my mind that you have to put up a fight to give yourself the best chance and I would certainly not want to walk headlong into this storm you are facing without some sort of line of defence. Arm yourself, my friend. I wish you all the luck in the world.

LC

Hi Welshone

I am sorry to hear this very shocking and devastating news. I was in a similar position in early Dec 2021 when, out of the blue, my hubby was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer with mets to the lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Since then he has undergone 7 rounds of Xelox/Capox chemo although the start was delayed until 21 Jan due to Covid backlogs. Without the chemo he would not have stood a fighting chance. As it is, he responded well to the treatment, his eating improved and he suffered little or no pain, especially after Round 1. The side effects were uncomfortable, not pleasant but tolerable and he was able to continue with a generally good quality of life, even working part-time. He even kept his hair!

After 3 months the cancer was "stable". Sadly, 6 months on, the cancer seems to have finally caught up with him and the tumour is on the march again. Tonight, he is in hospital, struggling to eat or drink. We don't yet know how the prognosis is now looking but what I do know is that I am grateful for the last 6 months and for the precious time we spent together, knowing that time might be limited.. We lived in hope that we would beat this awful disease and we felt empowered to do so. 

No two people react to cancer or chemo in the same way, so it is impossible to predict "how long" someone has got.  Any figures are based on averages, not individuals and miracles do happen, beating the odds. But there is no doubt in my mind that you have to put up a fight to give yourself the best chance and I would certainly not want to walk headlong into this storm you are facing without some sort of line of defence. Arm yourself, my friend. I wish you all the luck in the world.

LC

Thank you for taking the time to reply - it was very helpful. I am so sorry your husband is back in hospital and hope they can make him more comfortable.