What is Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes. Esophageal tumors usually lead to dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), pain and other symptoms, and is d...
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My dad was just diagnosed.
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I just found out last night that my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. They don't know the exact stages yet, but according to his doctor, they think he is in the late stages.
They will be running scans sometime in the next week to get exact answers, so we are all just waiting now. I feel like my hands are tied. I don't know what to do, but I feel like I should be doing something. I don't have the resources to do much other than research the hell out of this, but its leaving me more upset and confused. Everything I have read, its not been good. All the prognosis articles, and the "what to expect" articles are driving me insane. What can I do? How can I help him? I need to do something. Posted on 10/13/09, 10:10 am |
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Be positive for him. Pray for him. Accept all prayers coming his way and let him know he has lots of people praying for him. Offer to go with him or take him to Dr. appointments and be a 2nd set of listening ears for him. Take down questions he may have. Jot down notes for him from the Dr. Love him, hug him. Let him be in charge of what he wants to know and what he wants to do.
In my case I didn't want to know all the bad stuff (bad possibilities), I just wanted to know what I had and what needed to be done to give me my best chances for survival for a normal life :-) I got it and I pray he will too. None of us have guarantees of what life will bring today or tomorrow, so I think it's best to take it one day at a time. Stay in the moment and not think about the problems that may or may not arise. We can deal with them when they're here, if need be. I took it as a journey God had for me. I tried to do my part of doing what the Drs. advised and what my body was telling me and the rest I put in God's hands. Let go and let God, I've heard - worked well for me. Keep us posted. Tell your Dad he is not in this alone and there are many of us very willing to share our stories and support. God bless. Brenda 
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The waiting is agonizing. I felt the same way when my husband was diagnosed almost 2 years ago. At the time of diagnosis, he was stage 4 and the cancer had metastized to the liver. It took over a month before treatment finally began. The time was spent on tests and biopsies and finding an oncologist who supported our fight. Be assertive. Investigate now where you will go to get a second opinion on treatment options. Go ahead and make the appointment because you can't always get in right away. You can always cancel the appointment if it is not needed. Get recommendations from your family doctor on the best oncologist, radiologist, gastroenterologist and thoracic surgeon. If possible, have your Dad drink alkaline water with a PH of 9.5. He should drink half his body weight in ounces per day. The theory is that cancer only grows in an acidic environment. The rest is in God's hands. My husband went into complete remission after 3 months of chemo. Continued endoscopies every 3 months showed the return of the cancer to his esophagus 9 months later. This past July he had surgery to remove most of his esophagus. He is now cancer free. God bless you and your family. You'll be in my prayers.
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