Hi

My dad was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer 2 weeks ago today. We all sort of guessed it was cancer but hearing a specialist say it made it even more real (i think it's just the word 'cancer' that's hard to hear).

He got a phone call on Tuesday to say he needed a second endoscopy (3rd april) where they will take another biopsy, try to wriden his oeosphagus, and lazer as much of the tumour away as possible. We are waiting for an appointment for him to have a PET scan (we should have heard on Tuesday but as of yet we can't get a date out of anyone) to see if it's spread and i'm getting so impatient on his behalf that we haven't heard. I appreciate that 2 weeks is a short amount of time to have found out so much, but waiting a day would be too long in this situation, let alone a week, i trust other people feel like that too. 

At the moment ,if it hasn't spread then they're planning 3 weeks of chemo followed by surgery. But if it has spread then it'll be 6 weeks of intensive chemo/radio combined followed by surgery - that's why we need the PET scan.

My dad's only pleasure in life really is food, he loves eating, so to see him unable to eat more than some soup or mushed up potatoes, or wheetabix is horrific, and it really gets me down. We're being very pragmatic and logical - all financial jobs are organised just in case, and me, my mum and my brother know where things are on what to do in any eventuality which is good.

I just need somewhere that I can express myself. I don't want to bother my parents with it as they're very much 'life goes on' and 'what will be will be' which i fully understand. But i'm only 23, my dads only 56 (young to have this type of cancer seeing as he;'s never smoked or drunk and he's relatively fit - overweight but that's about it), so it's tempting to stew your thoughts over in your head and let them consume them. I just want people to talk to who are in the same (unfortunate) position and won't judge me. Thanks.