CancerCompass message board discussion started by genivieve on 2/10/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20806,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ please help. my husband  has stage 4 esophogial cancer--he cant have surgey becasue of the location.  for the next 4 months at least he will have 2 diiferent chemo through the port and chemo pills-Xeloda.  he is young, good heart, etc. im devastated -we're soulmates. he's a fighter and very positive.  has anyone out there beat stage 4 esophogial cancer-if so what treatment did you use?   genivieve Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi,My Dad was stage 3 and had the surgery last May - now has mets to the bone, so is stage IV.   I would suggest you also post on www.acor.org - the EC group section.   I think most of the stage IV survivors are there, and have been very insightful and supportive to me.   There are definitely some pretty depressing stories there too (as well as here).  But this beast can be beaten (or at least tamed) and the people there are proof of it.  They have given me great hope, and hopefully they will help you too...Courtney macybean Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT thank you soo, soo much---as long as i know there is hope we will continue to fight. good luck to you and your father. i will pray for you. i lost my dad and most of my uncles to lung cancer so im still in shock that my husband has this.  good luck and thank you genivieve Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT There was a new five year survivor post Ivor Lewis on EC Cafe yesterday. He forgot till sister called to remind him of anniversary. We are almost two years out from Ivor Lewis. It's a tough fight, but it can be won. It's making us strong for sure. Try to use whatever resources you can to fight it, and keep the body built up however you can so the immune system has the resources it needs to win. Stay positive! And as cyclist often reminds us a survivor who is doing well-Keep Moving!   tongrenhealer Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sorry to hear about your husband, mine too has in operative GI junction stage 4 cancer...diagnosed in July. When was your husband diagnosed? Where are his mets? T tbtahoe Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT peter and irene from chicago--peter is 48 yrs old and diagnosed stage4 in jan...it has spread to the bone, liver, lymphs, ribs...but we believe he will beat it--very positive person and a fighter...this group really helps...where do you live...do you have a good doctor...how old is your husband.. we will pray for you...good luck...stay strong even in the hardest times-irene and peter genivieve Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://groups.msn.com/EsophgealCancerChatandSupport Here is another great support group., Lots of folks there are beating EC !  MsJuneBug Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT hi genevieve! so sorry to hear your news. i dont know if i'll be able to help, but my mum whos in her 50s was recently diagnosed in September 2007 with EC-stage IV (with spots in her liver only) also. she's been on an intravenous chemotherapy (drugs starting with E,C,F) since then. the last 2 months or so she's had to have 1 weeks breaks in between because of extreme weight loss and nausea. recent ct scans showed the esophagus tumour and some liver cysts decreased in size, but theres one liver cyst that doubled in size. she gets lots of pain on the side of her liver. also has a hard time eating. shes stopped working and is at home resting alot of the time. my family and i are really worried. she's our not only our mom but our best mate! i'll keep u updated! hope this helps! our prayers are with you and ur partner! just hang in there. charli (syd, australia) sydoz Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Genevieve:  My name is Lynn.  My son, Robbie (age 34), was diagnosed with Stage IV EC on April 6 2006.  Robbie had mets to the liver and the lymph nodes in the esophagus.  The doctors gave him 2-3 weeks without treatment and 3-4 months with treatment.  Robbie chose to fight.  He had every conceiveable treatment available to him here in Canada even trying trial drugs.  The problem with Robbie was the cancer in his liver.  The tumour in the esophagus was completely irradicated with brachytherapy and the only cancer left was in his liver.  He fought very hard but because the cancer was so widespread in his liver he lost his battle on October 7, 2007 at age 35.  The main thing that Robbie taught me was to live one day at a time - just one day at a time.  The past is gone and we cannot change it, the future is not yet here and today is the present - a gift that we should all live to the fullest.Robbie's cancer was a very aggressive adenocarcinoma and he had over 60 cancerous lesions in his liver but with a strong will and all the treatment he received he managed to live for 18 months.  My oldest son gave the eulogy at the service and he said "my brother did not win the war but he certainly won the battle and is a hero.  He fought with all he had and he did many things that he had always wanted to do and he lived each day with his cancer and did not think about dieing.  Even in the last week of his life he comforted all who came to see him."  The best advice anyone can give you is NEVER GIVE UP and LIVE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT COULD BE THE LAST.  I spent the last few weeks with my son every day and I would not change that.  He left a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful little girls behind.I will pray for you and your family but please NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.Hugs to youLynn   Momlynn Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi thereMy dad (50 and healthy) was diagnosed in Sept 2007 with cancer. It took two months to determine that it was stage lV EC. He presented with no signs or symptoms. The only reason it was discovered was a large, visable growth (tumor) in his elbow. Because of the location of the EC and how far gone it was, surgery was not an option. We were told it was not curabel and we were just looking at palliative care (5month without treatment, 10 with). The treatment plan the doctors created for him was basically to start cycling through chemo until he passed. After my dad's first cycle, he was so violently ill that he decided he couldn't continue. He tried one more cycle last month at 50% dosage but has again decided not to continue. But he is doing very well. Unfortunatly doctors can not really be optomistic and the statistics aren't really in our favour but there is always hope. My dad is fighting this terrible disease with nutrition( very little meat or dairy and drinking "green smoothies, also recently started the Budwig diet) and the power of the mind (lots of fresh air, living in the mountains, excerise when he is up for it). We don't know what is happening with the cancer but my dad is feeling good, has energy to play with his grandchildren, even went skiing last week. What I think is very important is that you NEVER settle. Keep fighting and find what treatments work for you guys. Every cancer and cancer patient is different. Research all you can and take one day at a time. They may be few but there are survivors and there is always hope, I pray that things start looking up for you all!   cmullen Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 2/18/2008 Momlynn wrote:Hi Genevieve:  My name is Lynn.  My son, Robbie (age 34), was diagnosed with Stage IV EC on April 6 2006.  Robbie had mets to the liver and the lymph nodes in the esophagus.  The doctors gave him 2-3 weeks without treatment and 3-4 months with treatment.  Robbie chose to fight.  He had every conceiveable treatment available to him here in Canada even trying trial drugs.  The problem with Robbie was the cancer in his liver.  The tumour in the esophagus was completely irradicated with brachytherapy and the only cancer left was in his liver.  He fought very hard but because the cancer was so widespread in his liver he lost his battle on October 7, 2007 at age 35.  The main thing that Robbie taught me was to live one day at a time - just one day at a time.  The past is gone and we cannot change it, the future is not yet here and today is the present - a gift that we should all live to the fullest.Robbie's cancer was a very aggressive adenocarcinoma and he had over 60 cancerous lesions in his liver but with a strong will and all the treatment he received he managed to live for 18 months.  My oldest son gave the eulogy at the service and he said "my brother did not win the war but he certainly won the battle and is a hero.  He fought with all he had and he did many things that he had always wanted to do and he lived each day with his cancer and did not think about dieing.  Even in the last week of his life he comforted all who came to see him."  The best advice anyone can give you is NEVER GIVE UP and LIVE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT COULD BE THE LAST.  I spent the last few weeks with my son every day and I would not change that.  He left a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful little girls behind.I will pray for you and your family but please NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.Hugs to youLynn  It is so sad when it is someone so young... had he been having reflux all  his life? It's awful that this disease can strike in someone that young.  rosie78 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT