55 years old married, mother of 3 all in their 20's (and still living at home), youngest has epilepsy (recently diagnosed, still working on the meds), fulltime carer AND unpaid helper to a friend including his finances due to inability to budget (and everyone else that contacts me on his behalf...rent social services-conspicuous in their absence, day carers etc) and literally noone else is helping. Art and my garden are my free time! So that's me, now the other thing....
Newly diagnosed with T4 N2/3 MO gastroesophagal junction cancer. Head is literally spiralling through my "options"
Option 1: Do nothing, don't know and don't want to know (yet) how long that means
Option 2: INTENSE chemo...surgery ("likely TOTAL gastectomy")...Chemo....and hope I survive (My particular chances have been stated as >10%)
Option 3: Palliative chemo with the hope of adding immunotherapy (new biopsy needed though as first one didn't take enough tissue. No prognosis though cos I don't want to know my current one LOL but he mentioned 'success rates' (no details obviously) but what is counted as a SUCCESS with palliative chemo?
Then they said 'It's your choice' but right now it feels like a trick question with no answer!
I didn't even get Covid, despite my entire family (all 5 of us still in the same house) getting it TWICE!
Husband wants it gone (as we all do) so wants the surgery, BUT then there's the chance it won't work or worse.
My youngest thinks palliative with immunotherapy might be the way as they seem to believe my immune system is impenetrable......despite the 3 weeks of hell I just went through AFTER the biopsy. They inserted an NG tube (which wasn't necessary I could still swallow mostly fine...some pain on random days other days no issues at all! And my immune system let me down, MAJOR throat infection, but because of the damn tube (nicknamed Starmer.... I have a dark sense of humour sorry!) nobody understood it WASN'T what I went in for so I got no treatment for it the first 2 weeks. Felt like THE worst tonsillitis EVER and I had them removed when I was 8!! Feeling much better now (and Starmer is gone, but only cos after meeting the surgeon I'd said I didn't want the surgery option if it was just going to kill me off and he agreed which didn't help) and getting back to eating properly (lost my appetite big style) ...but now it's back to the OP (Original Problem) and Hobson's Choice.
Sorry for the rant but like I said spiralling a bit here right now! ANY advice, experience GREATLY appreciated if you feel up to talking at all.
Thank you for reading this far! And Good Luck to us all. X
