Has anyone survived esophageal Cancer?

On 12/3/2004 Tallyho wrote:

Greetings: I am new to this site and am researching recurrent esophageal cancer and was wondering if I could get a copy of your 15 page booklet? Thank you Ron P.

Hello, I am also new to this site and would love to get a copy of the booklet.  How do I go about doing that?  Thank you, Vonda.

On 1/7/2005 Jim T. wrote:

I do have a summary that I wrote of how diet and lifestyle change can improve the odds of beating cancer; however, I don't know that you beat esophageal cancer unless you are diagnosed with it before stage 4. My husband lived almost 2 years after the diagnosis. At diagnosis, the oncologist said he had 6 months maybe. I am sure the diet and lifestyle change (and lots of prayers) are what kept him alive so much longer. And it was a fairly good life - he was able to do a lot and usually felt pretty good - until he went off the diet due to stomach problems. After 15 months, we went for a second opinion and were told he needed to do radiation which the first dr. didn't want to do - "since he was going to die anyway." It was just too late in the game for him to survive the radiation. He had lost too much weight before the radiation. Once he started the radiation, he only lived 4 more months...and the last 4 months were not good. I just wonder if it would have been different if he had started the radiation (like the first radiologist wanted to do) when he was originally diagnosed.) Guess I'll never know - but I do know that a good diet with nutritious food can help to beat cancer. I feel the ONLY way to beat cancer is through pure food, pure water, sunlight, exercise, a good attitude, and supplements to boost the immunity so the body can fight it off itself. I personally feel that chemo and radiation may stop the cancer for a short time but they do not kill it. It just damages other part of the body. Cancer cells are very smart and they hide only to come out later. We have to have our bodies fight the cancer and to do that we must build up our own immunity. It can be done. I know people who beat it only with nutrition, exercise and supplements. If you want a copy of my notes, please let me know. I don't know how to attach the file to this message. Good luck to all of you cancer fighters and supporters. It's a very tough battle but never give up. Keep up the faith - and pray, pray, pray. Judy T.

Dear Judy,

I don't know whether or not you are still reading this message board.  If you are, my heart goes out to you on the loss of your husband after such a brave battle. Unfortunately I know what you went through, because I am going through it now. My husband was diagnosed stage 4 Jan 2006. His dr. never gave him exact statistics.  My grown kids and I knew from what we had read he had only months.  My husband didn't know it and didn't want to know it.(he didn't realiz there was no stage 5 til Nov.)  It took all the energy he had to get through each day of cisplatin, 5fu and taxotere.Surgery was not an option since there was lymph node involvement. But from the chemo, The tumor was then gone and we were then given the choice of radiation of no radiation.  Since we had been agressive all the way we choose radiation.  He was doing great til this month when they found metastisis to the brain.  After gamma knife, we are now beginning radfiation and probably that dreaded chemo.  I want to help him build up his imune system. If this reaches you, I would appreciate your notes on the diet.

  I also want to thank you for your inspiration for other caregivers like myself who have found some amount of faith in your care for your husband.  It certainly isns't an easy task and I hope you have been able to find some peace for yourself knowing that you did all that you could have humanly possible to fight "the beast". Plus you have encouraged others to continue to do so.  Maybe someday they will find a cure for this or at least someway of alerting people so it can be detected way before it gets to stage 4.

Dee 

Ps. If anyone else is reading this that got the booklet from Judy, I'd appreciate your help in getting it. 

On 5/12/2007 Martys Wife wrote:

 

On 1/7/2005 Jim T. wrote:

I do have a summary that I wrote of how diet and lifestyle change can improve the odds of beating cancer; however, I don't know that you beat esophageal cancer unless you are diagnosed with it before stage 4. My husband lived almost 2 years after the diagnosis. At diagnosis, the oncologist said he had 6 months maybe. I am sure the diet and lifestyle change (and lots of prayers) are what kept him alive so much longer. And it was a fairly good life - he was able to do a lot and usually felt pretty good - until he went off the diet due to stomach problems. After 15 months, we went for a second opinion and were told he needed to do radiation which the first dr. didn't want to do - "since he was going to die anyway." It was just too late in the game for him to survive the radiation. He had lost too much weight before the radiation. Once he started the radiation, he only lived 4 more months...and the last 4 months were not good. I just wonder if it would have been different if he had started the radiation (like the first radiologist wanted to do) when he was originally diagnosed.) Guess I'll never know - but I do know that a good diet with nutritious food can help to beat cancer. I feel the ONLY way to beat cancer is through pure food, pure water, sunlight, exercise, a good attitude, and supplements to boost the immunity so the body can fight it off itself. I personally feel that chemo and radiation may stop the cancer for a short time but they do not kill it. It just damages other part of the body. Cancer cells are very smart and they hide only to come out later. We have to have our bodies fight the cancer and to do that we must build up our own immunity. It can be done. I know people who beat it only with nutrition, exercise and supplements. If you want a copy of my notes, please let me know. I don't know how to attach the file to this message. Good luck to all of you cancer fighters and supporters. It's a very tough battle but never give up. Keep up the faith - and pray, pray, pray. Judy T.

Dear Judy,

I don't know whether or not you are still reading this message board.  If you are, my heart goes out to you on the loss of your husband after such a brave battle. Unfortunately I know what you went through, because I am going through it now. My husband was diagnosed stage 4 Jan 2006. His dr. never gave him exact statistics.  My grown kids and I knew from what we had read he had only months.  My husband didn't know it and didn't want to know it.(he didn't realiz there was no stage 5 til Nov.)  It took all the energy he had to get through each day of cisplatin, 5fu and taxotere.Surgery was not an option since there was lymph node involvement. But from the chemo, The tumor was then gone and we were then given the choice of radiation of no radiation.  Since we had been agressive all the way we choose radiation.  He was doing great til this month when they found metastisis to the brain.  After gamma knife, we are now beginning radfiation and probably that dreaded chemo.  I want to help him build up his imune system. If this reaches you, I would appreciate your notes on the diet.

  I also want to thank you for your inspiration for other caregivers like myself who have found some amount of faith in your care for your husband.  It certainly isns't an easy task and I hope you have been able to find some peace for yourself knowing that you did all that you could have humanly possible to fight "the beast". Plus you have encouraged others to continue to do so.  Maybe someday they will find a cure for this or at least someway of alerting people so it can be detected way before it gets to stage 4.

Dee 

Ps. If anyone else is reading this that got the booklet from Judy, I'd appreciate your help in getting it. 

Dear Judy or Dee or anyone that would have information on this horrible disease,

My husband, also named Jim, age 48, ( we have a 15 year old son) was also diaganosed with stage 4 "head and neck" or "esophagus cancer" back in Aug 06.  He has had all the radiation his body can stand.  He finished his radiation and chemo in Dec.06, had a PET scan in early March and was told that they didn't see anymore cancer.  2 weeks later the his lymph nodes started swelling again.  He told the drs. that the cancer was returning, the drs told him "no" that was just muscle spasms.  Finally the last part of May the drs. conceaded that the cancer had returned.  My husband and I spent 6 weeks in 3 different hospitals and they have sent him home to die.  It's so gut wrenching to see someone that was so strong and full of life, get so sick so quickly.  His work was very hard and physical and he loved it, now it is a struggle just to get to the bedside commode. 

 Judy, you worried that early radiation might have made a difference, in our case it did not.  I think the radiation did so much more damage than good.  My husband ended up with a feeding tube 2 months after he started radiation and chemo.  Then had to have a trache tube put in to breathe in April.  While in the hospital his sugar became so high he had to take insulin shots, he now takes a pill instead of the shots. This cancer literally chokes it's victims to death.  It closed his esophagus and airway and is still growing.

I haven't used juices but would greatly appreciate some advice on which ones would be best to use. 

Linda

On 2/7/2007 Laura Wetzel wrote:

 

On 2/7/2007 For a Friend wrote:

Dear Laura,

I am writing for one of my very best friend's and her husband. In the last two weeks, he has been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer with it in his liver and bile duct as well. They have two young children, ages 9 & 11 and they are devastated. We all are. He is my husband's best friend too. Because of where the cancer is on the bile duct, it is inoperable and looks like chemo and diet will be their best way to fight this.(Along with lots of prayers!) His is 48 years old.

I would love to get the 15 pages of diet information if you would not mind sharing it with me. Thank you so much. Could I email you or would you email it to us?

Lisa H. 

my dear, I am sooo sorry.  Words can not say how devasting thisbdisease is and how quickly it takes over your body.  Without a sign till its simoly too late.  My father actually past away 3 weeks ago on January 18th.  They gave him a year on January 17th 2006, he made it a year and 1 1/2 hours.  Just like my dad to decide when and go against the odds just to show them.  I watched him through a horrific ordeal the past year.  I am sorry to say I never got the notes from the lady but my Dad wouldnt have done them anyway. I will be ahppy tp speak with you anytime and your friend as I am sure I can answer many questions and lend an ear of complete understanding to you and her and her family.  Please feel free to email me at 

--- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed.  Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ----

 ANYTIME for anything or just to talk for details on what to expect to help you through and to begin to process the future.  My heart aches for you it truly does, its a horrible adventure you are beginning but I know you dont believe me now but you will all grow more in love with him and feel closer to him then you ever have this year.  What is his prognosis?  What state do you live in?I would be honored to help you in anyway I can.  I watched and was with my father when he took his last 2 breathes and it was actually very peaceful. I know thats hard to understand but when the time comes you will as well.  Love to help you so I hope you write me as well as anyone in your friends and family. 

 

Love and bLessings,

Laura

Lisa,

Oh

hi Laura,

hopefully you can read my message. i was moved by your message here and hope to contact with u, since i am suffering,cause my father is struggling with EC, 4th stage and i can do nothing.

i am studying in Europe and i am an asian, i took 3-day trip back home to visit my family and watching my dad struggling and can not help, i am desperate, and feeling useless.

but at least from my midnight search i got the hope that there are still survivors from stage 4,and also the importances of the diet.

tomorrow morning i will tell my father and give him some hope. since i can not take the burdens of his pains every word is pain and useless to me, but still i will try.

please help me out and any emotional support would be appreciated....

many thanks,

one mongolian girl 

 

hi Laura,

hopefully you can read my message. i was moved by your message here and hope to contact with u, since i am suffering,cause my father is struggling with EC, 4th stage and i can do nothing.

i am studying in Europe and i am an asian, i took 3-day trip back home to visit my family and watching my dad struggling and can not help, i am desperate, and feeling useless.

but at least from my midnight search i got the hope that there are still survivors from stage 4,and also the importances of the diet.

tomorrow morning i will tell my father and give him some hope. since i can not take the burdens of his pains every word is pain and useless to me, but still i will try.

please help me out and any emotional support would be appreciated....

many thanks,

one mongolian girl 

On 10/17/2002 Jim T. wrote:

Just an update on my husband who has stage 4 esophageal cancer that is "incurable and inoperable"...We have changed pretty much to a vegetarian diet (macrobiotic). In the last couple months we have had chicken a couple times and steak a couple times but it is always organic. He is doing great! He is taking chemo only but I'm not sure that that is helping at all as sometimes he gets pretty sick from it. I have been reading everything I can on it - alternative seems like our only hope with this type of cancer. We have met with 2 people who survived cancer by changing to this diet. Both were in Stage 4 but both were also melanoma. Jim is eating 5-7 fruits and veggies a day (the more colorful, the more vitamins in them.) Miso (fermented soybean paste) has been said to suffocate cancer cells so he's doing Miso soup once a day. He eats no dairy, eggs, white flour or sugar. He is juicing a pound of carrots a day (for his Vitamin A beta carotene -a cancer fighter), taking barley green, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Flaxseed, Coenzyme Q-10 and Grapeseed. He is doing visualization and breathing exercises (to relax and get oxygen into the bloodstream). Cancer hates oxygen (but loves sugar!) My advice is read, read, read and pray, pray, pray. You must read "When Hope Never Dies" (a survivor's story) and "Cancer Diagnosis-What to do Next" (alternative medicine. My husband feels great, looks great, can swallow without any problem now and can eat anything and everything. You would never know he has cancer! I don't know what part of our change in lifestyle has helped him but we're going to continue doing what we are doing! Write me if you have questions.

Judy T.

Hello Judy T,

Recently a very good family friend has been diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. He is in NY at the moment he has had Chemo & the results were not positive, He will return to his home in LasVegas in a few weeks, He has decided when he returns to go to hospice.

I want to share with him any helpful info that may be considered before committing to hospice.

I have look all over the internet and I thought your information was something I wanted to seek.

What is the update on your husband since you posted this message in 2002?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Be Well,

Share 

On 8/24/2002 Pat P. wrote:

My cousin had extensive surgery two years ago for this type of cancer. He went through the battle with the chemo - etc. He had a particularly hard time because his mother passed away while he was in the hospital and he could not even attend her funeral. He has had many other personal problems to deal with as well - but he is such a fighter - he would get up and do things around the house and cut the grass in small parts until he got the job done. He was ministered to by many who loved and encouraged him and he has even had a heart attack since the surgery. But he simply does not give up and as of now is in remission. I have just discovered that I have breast cancer and I am on an emotional roller coaster. Some days I am up for the mastectomy and other days I want to run away from my body. I want to just unzip it and step right out of it. I know that God is in the shadows as well as in the light and that He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He has not promised to heal everyone who says, "Lord, Lord!" But He has promised to never leave us hopeless. I believe that my cancer will be a journey - one with days of smooth roads and some with rough spots to overcome - no unlike the pioneers who went west. But their determination and their will to succeed opened up a whole new world in America and I am expecting that this cancer will open up a whole new world for me. My prayer is that I will honor God and be a good example to my children and grandchildren. I know that I am not a body - not a breast - not a piece of flesh; but a spirit born in the image of God and I know that He cares for me. I pray that your brother finds peace and serenity in the midst of the storm. Many people have been healed - not just with medicine - but also with divine intervention and personal courage. I pray that no matter the outcome of your brothers illness; that each of you will be brought closer to each other and that many joys lie ahead for each of you.

Wow your message inspired me my dear.  I was just told that my favorite uncle has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer.  My heart is broken - do you think there is any hope?  I mean he just went to the doctor !!  sniff sniff.

God hath not promised skies always blue,

On 9/30/2002 Jim T. wrote:

My husband, Jim, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on July 5 this year. He is in stage 4 with squamous cell metastatic cancer - meaning that it has spread already to the lymph nodes, which isn't good. He was told it is inoperable and incurable. He has been doing chemo (cisplatin and 5FU) and the tumor (which is between the stomach and esophagus) has not grown. This is a very aggressive form of cancer and the dr. was pleasantly surprised that it hadn't spread in the past 2 months. I feel it is because of the change in diet and lifestyle that we started. We are doing the Macrobiotic Diet and have given up red meat, white sugar, white flour, and milk products and are eating whole grains, organic vegetables and fruit, beans, soy products and soon we will be trying seaweed. That sounds awful but if it means your life, it's worth it. We personally know 2 people who have been cured of their cancer with this diet. And it makes sense. I have been reading everything I can on the internet and diet and lifestyle change seems to be the answer. The body can heal itself if you give it nutrients. There are certain foods that can kill (suffocate) cancer cells. I have about 15 pages of typed notes that I have accumulated on diet and curing cancer if you are interested. You need to read the book "When Hope Never Dies" by Marlene McKenna and "Beating Cancer with Nutrition" by Patrick Quillin. I feel it can be beat! Judy T. Holland, MI

I have a friend who had surgery, radiation and chemo for esophageal cancer.  I am on a mission to help her nutritionally and would appreciate if you would send me your 15 pages of notes.  I will head for the library and get the two books.  My son-in-law has survived brain cancer for two years and pretty much follows a vegetarian diet.

In exchange, I'm including his recipe for  a smoothie that he dinks daily.

Mark's cancer fighting smoothie

8 oz green tea, 1T organic wheat grass powder (brand Amazing Grass), 6 grams (1 scoop) Kidz SuperFood (brand Amazing Grass), 1tsp or to taste organic cinnamon, 1 T organic ground flax seed, 1T organic flaxoil filtered (brand Spectrum), 1/4 to 1/2 cup organic plain whole milk yogurt (brand Strus European style), 2/3 c organic blueberries (usually frozen, 1/3 c organic raspberries (usually frozen, If on Chemo, I put in Miralax powder for constipation.  Blend until mix is smooth. Lastly, turn off blender and add" 1 scoop-20 grams of whey protein powder.  Whey To Go is the best whey I have found.  It contains 16 grams of protein per 1 gram of sugar. If you need a sweetener use Stevia or organic liquid blue agave nectar.

Hi Judy T.

My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 EC in Dec 2007.

He had surgery in mid January and did very well. He is now on chemo (radiation could not be done). He is doing OK but very tired and of course doesn't want to eat much. Please let me know what to do to receive your 15 page diet information. Thank you so much for your help.

Fran K.