Kris,
Thanks for the encouragement.
I was diagnosed on Jan 2, 2007 with stage IV gastric/esophageal adenocarcinoma at Stanford (I work there).
I had three months of chemo, IV Carboplatin and oral Xeloda. The first three week cycle was no problem. In the middle of the second cycle I had severe hand/foot syndrome. Xeloda also whacked my GI tract. I had severe dehydration and my electrolytes dropped to panic levels. I had to go into the hosptial for a few days and had outpatient IV's for a another week until my intestinal mucosa grew back. My Xeloda dose was reduced by 25% for the third cycle (to 3000 mg/day). The third cycle was not too bad. The chemo didn't reduce the size of the mass but it did a good job on my lymph nodes and made me a candidate for surgery. The lesson I learned was not to wait until you get really sick to get help. IV rehydration and electrolyte replacement is much easier to deal with than severe dehydration.
In May I had an Iver-Lewis gastrectomy/esophagectomy. They removed most of my stomach, esophagus and 22 lymph nodes. Four lymph nodes were positive but the surgical margins were clear. No other metastaces. I was discharged after nine days. It took a couple months to recover from surgery. The abdominal surgery wasn't to bad. It was the thoracotomy that was rough. My ribs hurt for six weeks.
Next I had five weeks of radiation with oral chemo.
Today I finished another two months of Carboplatin and Xeloda.
I had a PET/CT a couple weeks ago and they saw no signs of new disease. My next appointment is Jan 7, 2008. I am in the "watch and see" mode now.
I can eat anything I want now, but in small quantities. I occasionally have some acid reflux at night, even with the proton inhibitor I'm taking. I have irregular bowel movements but I am waiting to see how my GI works after chemo. The Xeloda is tough on the GI tract. I lost 40 lbs but I had a lot of extra weight to begin with. I walk regularly but sleep a lot. My biggest problem has been fatigue.
It has been a tough road but, overall, not to bad. I look healthier now than before I was diagnosed.
Tom