Terrorized by EC probability

mobunny · New User Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

I hate being here. I have been lurking around, reading up on esophageal cancer. My 72 yr old Dad, whom I love dearly and who lives with us, survived a brain stem hemorrhage last year. They said he was a dead man when it happened. After 3 months in the hospital, he came back home with minimal deficiencies, thank God! Now, he has been having trouble swallowing lately. (Swallowed fine after the hemorrhage) He vomits it back up, especially bread, and a lot of mucous too. We finally got him to go to the drs. He had a barium test. It came back that he has a "tumor" blocking the way. So, on Oct 5 he gets a esophagealgastroduodenoscopy (EGD).
He was a heavy drinker all his life and loved spicy food, until the "stroke".

Funny thing though-after all the lack of appetite & inability to eat normally he hasn't lost any weight. He is still 306.

What are the chances of this barium test making a mistake?

If this is cancer, what kind of treatment will they offer a 72 yr old man with a history of atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, a pacemaker and a prior hemorrhagic stroke?

Thanks,
mobunny

mobunny · New User Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

Today was Dad's EGD. He has cancer. His esophagus is almost closed going into his stomach. They had to use a pediatric tube on him because of it. The found a "large" mass, something about friable and fungated...and 32-42 cm from gums...
So, on my Mom's birthday, Oct 11 he goes to see an oncologist.

In the meantime, we are not to allow him to eat normally. He can only have soft things like drinks and pudding...because of the "esophagogastric junction " being almost closed.

Okay, so NOW will anyone comment on what to expect next now that I know it is EC for sure? Please?

mama2twingles · Regular Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 18

sorry to hear about your dad and that you've had no responses. Your best source of information from people going through this would be cathy's ec cafe and to join the ACOR ec forum it's truly great support!
Blessings to you and yours,
Debi

mobunny · New User Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

Thank you for answering. I just joined.

Yesterday, was Dad's first oncologist visit. She explained that his tumor is actually in the middle esophagus but large so it still is blocking off to the stomach. She was testing him out to see if he would want surgery before she got around to saying he wasn't a candidate...which is technically, she said the only cure. He didn't want it anyway because I had told him about what I read and for his health it seemed to much for him. He's going to read more about other things...

He has a PET for next week for staging purposes...

The dr said that if he chooses chemo/radiation he will most certainly have a feeding tube...which he never wanted until he found out how simple it is...and that our Church considers hydration and nutrition everyone's right (thank God) until their body is in an active advanced dying state, when it is rejected by the body naturally. I can't imagine a person dying that way because it is a most unpleasant thing...everyone should have hydration and nutrition in whatever way they can until it is definitely their end and the body ceases to make use of these two things.
We were worried that they would see him as "too old" or "oh, he's expendable" since he has Medicare...and let him die by dehydrating to death. It happens a lot if the family doesn't care about someone and doesn't mind losing them. We love Dad so much and my mom & all nine of us "kids" want him with us as long as possible!! It is a good thing he wants to stay with us as long as possible too. My children will be devastated as he is a part of their everyday lives, since they live with us..
Now, if God would get on board with us like He did last time....at any rate God has been very merciful and we have had him with us for a year longer than most people with brain stem hemorrhages. We are so greatful that he didn't lose any of his faculties from it and we have spent a lot of time with him in special ways.
In the oncology office, I saw a lady I am friends with. They called me and said she had brain cancer. She was mostly bald, face bloated and her tumor is inoperable because "she would end up brain damaged". She was doing chemo & radiation to buy more time. Another lady was at her 5 yr mark. There were five other patients with family there as well. I mentioned how I don't know how people go through this without a faith of some sort in God. Everyone in there chimed in saying they fully believed that God was helping them despite all the dire prognosis...and some even admitted they know that they will die.
That was a huge surprise to find people willing to talk about God in public. There is a "foxhole" type of friendship amoung the people and the staff was kind and caring which was unusual too at drs offices these days....

I am learning.

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