Hey Guys... I was just diagnosed with esophageal cancer two days ago. Needless to say, I was devastated. Scheduling PET scan for tomorrow. I am nervous because this cancer grows with no symptoms for a long time. I feel it has spread as I am having back pain. GI doctor said I will be going to Cleveland Clinic after PET scan. My family has all passed and I never married. Thankfully I do have one friend local but he is busy with wife, kids, work, and coaching. He said he will help as much as he can. I cant lie. I feel scared and alone. I can really use some feedback.
Need Prayers!
- Thread starter ROBB MACK
- Start date
Will be thinking of you. Important you remain a fighter! I've been through this with family and it's important to remain strong.
I feel for you buddy. I've been riding around 2 lifelong friends (one has passed) over the past couple years with cancer issues. They even have family, but I've been their driver. Sad to see and even sadder to think I'm going to be in the same boat someday. I'm not going to pretend I can say anything to make your health situation better, but financially there are programs to check into to pay for your travel expenses. Good luck and keep positive :0008
omg prayers sent x36: stay strong pal todays medicines and cures are a chance you get this remission
This is Jackie?s story.
Esophageal cancer: A diagnosis I never expected
About a year before my diagnosis, I noticed a painful burning in my chest. I went to see my general practitioner, and he diagnosed me with acid reflux and prescribed Prevacid. The pain went away once I started taking the medication ? it was like a miracle. I felt good for about a year, but then the burning started again. This time, I decided to see a gastroenterologist. It was August 2000. My doctor performed an endoscopy to examine my esophagus and try to find the cause of my symptoms. After the exam, she gave me the news no one ever wants to hear: I had esophageal cancer.
Deciding to fight: First step, finding the best surgeon
At that time, there was only a 5% recovery rate for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer. But I couldn?t think about that. I just wanted to stay in the moment and do what I had to do beat this. My husband and I decided to face the disease as if we were at war. We were going to fight.
We knew if we were going to win the fight, we had to assemble the best team of doctors to help us. The first step was finding a surgeon. We did research and asked everyone we knew and one name kept coming up as ?the best in the world:? Dr. Tom DeMeester. Luckily, he was at USC not too far from where we lived and was able to see me. He confirmed the cancer and we set a battle plan: Chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the cancer followed by surgery to remove my esophagus.
Treatment begins: A long, slow road
So I started my treatment at UCLA. I underwent radiation therapy every day for eight weeks. For the first five days, I was admitted to the hospital where I also received two kinds of chemotherapy (the ?tried and true? formula at the time) for 24 hours a day. During the eighth week of radiation, I had another five days of chemo treatment. Then we waited. After eight weeks, I had a CT scan to be sure the tumor had shrunk and surgery was scheduled. Dr. DeMeester performed an esophagectomy to completely remove my esophagus and create a new ?food pipe? with the top part of my stomach.
My life today
It took four months after the surgery to start feeling like myself again, but it did happen. Today I live a normal life. For the most part, I can eat anything now, although I do avoid spicy foods. My biggest limitation is that I have to eat smaller amounts than I used to because there?s just not enough room in my stomach for a large meal. People sometimes ask what I do to stay so slim, and I tell them they really don?t want to know. I can also choke easily, so every 18 months or so I have a procedure to widen my esophagus. I?ve been lucky. I haven?t had a recurrence of my reflux symptoms, but I know this is a problem for some people.
I remember praying that I would not only live to see my granddaughter grow up, but that I would also see more grandchildren born. I?m thrilled to say that today I have three grandchildren, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a great son all of whom I delight in seeing as often as possible. My husband and I (we?re about to celebrate 46 years of marriage) are still traveling and are so grateful for each and every day we have. We are healthy and very blessed.
My advice: Seek treatment and never lose hope
I am a strong believer in God and believe this was a true miracle. I?m so thankful for the strong support network I had as I battled the cancer. My advice for anyone facing this battle is to never lose hope. And if you?re suffering from acid reflux, look into endoscopy. The earlier you catch the changes that indicate cancer, the better chance you have of surviving.
Jackie is living, breathing proof that there is hope for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She is one of many cancer survivor stories, and more are being written every day. She shared her story with RefluxMD in the hope that she could help raise awareness about the risk of esophageal cancer and encourage others suffering from reflux disease to take action to control their health. Your next steps should be understanding how reflux disease progresses and learning your reflux disease stage.
Esophageal cancer: A diagnosis I never expected
About a year before my diagnosis, I noticed a painful burning in my chest. I went to see my general practitioner, and he diagnosed me with acid reflux and prescribed Prevacid. The pain went away once I started taking the medication ? it was like a miracle. I felt good for about a year, but then the burning started again. This time, I decided to see a gastroenterologist. It was August 2000. My doctor performed an endoscopy to examine my esophagus and try to find the cause of my symptoms. After the exam, she gave me the news no one ever wants to hear: I had esophageal cancer.
Deciding to fight: First step, finding the best surgeon
At that time, there was only a 5% recovery rate for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer. But I couldn?t think about that. I just wanted to stay in the moment and do what I had to do beat this. My husband and I decided to face the disease as if we were at war. We were going to fight.
We knew if we were going to win the fight, we had to assemble the best team of doctors to help us. The first step was finding a surgeon. We did research and asked everyone we knew and one name kept coming up as ?the best in the world:? Dr. Tom DeMeester. Luckily, he was at USC not too far from where we lived and was able to see me. He confirmed the cancer and we set a battle plan: Chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the cancer followed by surgery to remove my esophagus.
Treatment begins: A long, slow road
So I started my treatment at UCLA. I underwent radiation therapy every day for eight weeks. For the first five days, I was admitted to the hospital where I also received two kinds of chemotherapy (the ?tried and true? formula at the time) for 24 hours a day. During the eighth week of radiation, I had another five days of chemo treatment. Then we waited. After eight weeks, I had a CT scan to be sure the tumor had shrunk and surgery was scheduled. Dr. DeMeester performed an esophagectomy to completely remove my esophagus and create a new ?food pipe? with the top part of my stomach.
My life today
It took four months after the surgery to start feeling like myself again, but it did happen. Today I live a normal life. For the most part, I can eat anything now, although I do avoid spicy foods. My biggest limitation is that I have to eat smaller amounts than I used to because there?s just not enough room in my stomach for a large meal. People sometimes ask what I do to stay so slim, and I tell them they really don?t want to know. I can also choke easily, so every 18 months or so I have a procedure to widen my esophagus. I?ve been lucky. I haven?t had a recurrence of my reflux symptoms, but I know this is a problem for some people.
I remember praying that I would not only live to see my granddaughter grow up, but that I would also see more grandchildren born. I?m thrilled to say that today I have three grandchildren, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a great son all of whom I delight in seeing as often as possible. My husband and I (we?re about to celebrate 46 years of marriage) are still traveling and are so grateful for each and every day we have. We are healthy and very blessed.
My advice: Seek treatment and never lose hope
I am a strong believer in God and believe this was a true miracle. I?m so thankful for the strong support network I had as I battled the cancer. My advice for anyone facing this battle is to never lose hope. And if you?re suffering from acid reflux, look into endoscopy. The earlier you catch the changes that indicate cancer, the better chance you have of surviving.
Jackie is living, breathing proof that there is hope for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She is one of many cancer survivor stories, and more are being written every day. She shared her story with RefluxMD in the hope that she could help raise awareness about the risk of esophageal cancer and encourage others suffering from reflux disease to take action to control their health. Your next steps should be understanding how reflux disease progresses and learning your reflux disease stage.
- Mar 19, 2006
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We all join you in your battle..
Positive Waves Everyday..
Anything you want to hash out there many caring souls here.
One word of advice..don't get ahead of yourself.
When I went thru the bladder cancer I did and it did me no good.
Take it one day at a time and keep notes on what you feel necessary.
Just be a Bulldog and dig in for the long haul to recovery .
Positive Waves Everyday..
Anything you want to hash out there many caring souls here.
One word of advice..don't get ahead of yourself.
When I went thru the bladder cancer I did and it did me no good.
Take it one day at a time and keep notes on what you feel necessary.
Just be a Bulldog and dig in for the long haul to recovery .
Take care of yourself and good luck with this new challenge. As already mentioned, others have beaten this and you can to.
I am so very sorry to hear this. We can only hope that you discover this is early stages vs. late. If that is the case, I know you will put up a fight. Instead of focusing on the negative, I do hope you can find it in yourself to be ready to seek aggressive treatment and not let it get you down.
I have heard that you should stop ALL sugar intake. Not a single grain. I am sure there are other things you should avoid, but that is all I know.
If I had any advice to bestow upon you, it would be to seek counsel. Either a licensed counselor, a psychologist or even a pastor of a church. (I am not sure about a priest). Consider asking medical staff for help in finding a counselor. You need this like you need water. If you feel scared and alone, seeking counsel should be your first step. Also, do not ever think you'll find the right counselor on your first try. So many counselors/psychologists etc.. suck balls. You really have to wade in murky waters sometimes to find a good one, so do not give up after the first one doesn't work out. Searching is part of it.
You also need to find things that make you happy and do them. Do not let this get you down. You're not just fighting invading cells, you're fighting your emotions too.
So, do this......if you want to listen to me....
1. Ask medical staff about counsel.
2. Seek one or two out. Find a good fit.
3. Do not give up in this effort.
4. Whatever it is that makes you happy, do it.
I do hope for the best in your coming tests. We all here want you to recover and beat this.
Take care and when you can, please keep us updated. Good luck to you.
This is very good advice, if the mind gives up, the body gives up.
Hang in there ROBB MACK and fight like hell.......
ROBB,
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis - glad to hear you have a friend locally who can help, and I would surmise that even though he is busy with his life he will do all he can and will hopefully figure out a way to rally others to step in when he isn't free
Lots of good advice in this thread already and I would say that trying to do whatever makes you happy is a good start - I have back troubles as well and physical therapy has helped me a lot with that so maybe look into some PT as that will get you out of the house and keep you moving while helping your body release endorphins that will improve your mood - guessing the weather in Ohio is pretty nice this time of year so get outside and go for walks and try to enjoy the sunshine - maybe there are community volunteer opportunities that could take your mind off the situation while also granting the opportunity to meet new people - guess all of this will depend on PET scan and subsequent doctors' orders but hopefully the back troubles are unrelated and the cancer was detected at an early stage of growth
Lots of positive vibes coming to you from MJ's and beyond I'm sure - please keep us up to date as you work through the process
Best of luck - LA Burns
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis - glad to hear you have a friend locally who can help, and I would surmise that even though he is busy with his life he will do all he can and will hopefully figure out a way to rally others to step in when he isn't free
Lots of good advice in this thread already and I would say that trying to do whatever makes you happy is a good start - I have back troubles as well and physical therapy has helped me a lot with that so maybe look into some PT as that will get you out of the house and keep you moving while helping your body release endorphins that will improve your mood - guessing the weather in Ohio is pretty nice this time of year so get outside and go for walks and try to enjoy the sunshine - maybe there are community volunteer opportunities that could take your mind off the situation while also granting the opportunity to meet new people - guess all of this will depend on PET scan and subsequent doctors' orders but hopefully the back troubles are unrelated and the cancer was detected at an early stage of growth
Lots of positive vibes coming to you from MJ's and beyond I'm sure - please keep us up to date as you work through the process
Best of luck - LA Burns
