Never Give Up

My husband, three years ago was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma, our doctors advised the following, :  Get all your teeth fixed, he did, he was given a trach tube and a peg tube in his stomach.  He had 35 radiation treatments and 3 chemo (sisplatin) he was totally out of it.  I fed him every four hours and continued with anti-nausea meds, by the way, fenergan and reglan worked the best alternating them every four hours, long story short, three pets scans all clean.  He is living the good life, still can't eat solids, but that's ok, he's alive!!  Golfs, bowls and does everything he did before except that big steak.  He wants to help any one who is in doubt or is strugglling.  Get a good doctor, and listen to them, and don't give up

Alrighty then, I'm confused.  What did his teeth have to do with the EC?  Anyway, it's always great to hear a success story, I sure hope I'm albe to post one here in a couple of years!

I am so happy to hear the good news.  Sorry about the EC, but I believe it is so very important for others on this message board to hear the "good news" stories about surviving.  I am also an EC survivor for 4 years now.  I also live the good life.  Congratulations.  To all others, keep up the treatments, keep positive, keep fighting and believeing. Listen to your doctors.  There are survivors with a good quality of life after Cancer.

Dear Sparkle,

Thank you for your words of encouragement and hope! I emailed your post to my dad and told him to print it out and tape it on his bathroom mirror. Hope can be a powerful healer!

I'm guessing the teeth fix is because radiation can ruin them so you might want to start with them in good shape.

Also if you look at opening page for this website where they have cancer related articles, there was one a few weeks ago which related to EC, head and neck cancer, and lung cancer. A study was done with alarming statistics related to tooth loss and EC. Something like 136% increase in EC occurrence in people who were missing one or more teeth, with highest rates in those missing most teeth...possible relationship with mouth flora?

Thanks for posting your story. How old is your husband. Was the tumor at the esophageal/gastric juncture?  Where was he treated.

My husband is 55 years old & was diagnosed in Nov of '07 with adeno carcinoma of the esophagus, stage 4. We have been going to Duke since the diagnosis & he has been receiving Cisplatin & CPT-11 ( Iriontecan). So far after 2 scans he has shown shrinkage. He also has a g/j tube that he was initially receiving feedings & medications through but now it is just flushed.

 Is there anyone else out there with stage 4 survival stores????

Donna

Dear Donna,

I'm a 49 male and I woke up this morning, so I guess I'm still a success story.  I was DX March 2008.  Stage IV adenocarcinoma at the GE junction with mets to the liver, chest lymph nodes, and left adrenal.  I did eight weeks of cisplatin and ironocetan.  The CT results showed shrinkage in all but the liver mets, but my oncologist believes that we are just seeing them better with this scan and that they are shrinking too.

My symptoms may be from the chemo or the cancer or both.  I experience extreme fatigue often, and have gotten quite "phlemy."  Fortunately my family seems to have gotten used to the disgusting noises I make when I bring this crap up.

I have not suffered any siginifcant weight loss and as long as I don't eat huge portions of anything I have no stomach pain.  I have no trouble eating or swallowing, and no significant nausea.

I have had two bouts of fever and infection, they tell me that's because the chemo lowers my immune system.  I just started the same regimine of chemo but had to skip a session because of lowered white counts and the fact that I was coughing uncontrollably. 

I have cut down, but have not quit smoking entirely.  I look at that this way, either I keep smoking a 1/2 pack a day or go on a three-state killing spree.

My wife and family are beiing incredibly supportive and that is helping and the staff at my hospital are simply wonderful!  Franklin Square Cancer Center in Baltimore. 

I still golf when I have the energy and applied for and received (starting in August) SSDI.  So, I'm still running my investigative agency part time.  Meantime, I've become much more attuned to my spiritual side, and have much more meaningful conversations with people than I used to.  I'm also going skydiving next month.  After all, what do have to be afraid of now?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have or comments, this is a great group of people and the support is awesome.  Speaking of support groups, I start orientation at one this coming Thursday.

Hope my comments help, and I'm a firm believer in NEVER GIVE UP!

God bless,

Mark

Hi Mark, Sounds like you have a great outlook!!!  My husband has mets to the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck, chest, live & right adrenal gland. We have been told he will be on chemo forever. He is fatigued at times & ritalin has helped. I really would like to keep in touch. Thanks.

Donna  

We are in chemo again, but 2 1/2 years out from stage 4 diagnosis, and prior to this treament had a year off from treatment, so we've had a few lulls to just enjoy life. We are not out of the woods, but still remain optimistic about beating it back again. I know at the start, I feared we would never make it this far on some level, even though I've always been optimistic. Such a formidable enemy! Keep fighting-each precious moment is worth it. 

What type of chemo is your loved one receiving & at what hospital? How old is the patient? Are there any other health issues involved? I know what you mean about remaining optomistic, but having the feeling of not making it to where you are. When my husband was first diagnosed I had racing thoughts about planning out the rest of our lives. Antidepressants have helped me to cope with the situation. I was the kind of person that wouldn't take a tylenol without being near death. Now, I'll take whatever helps!