DH has oesophageal cancer

Yes when a plan is in place it will be easier to get your head round it all. Sparklefizz's friend's experience is very positive.

If you have many friends and family to keep updated, set up a whatsapp group if possible and bring eveeyone up to date in one go. It gets very tiring and upsetting to keep repeating details and you may not know the answers to everything you will be asked. Very best wishes to you both. Such a difficult time. But one day at a time.

My heart goes out to both ago you. x

Oops..... Both of you. x

Aveline

What a shock for you and a scary time. I hope the team swing into action soon so you at least know what's happening. I'd second contacting Macmillan. Best wishes.

I’ve found MacMillan a tremendous help following diagnosis of lung cancer 2 years ago. MacMillan will talk to both the sufferer and/or the partner/carer. MacMillan will have a specific forum for oesophageal cancer. There you can meet other who are going through the same as yourselves.
When you next go take a pencil and note book with you so you can remember what is said. I found my team very helpful. You should be given a specialist cancer nurse who will be contactable to help you with any questions.
One thing I’d say is leave Doctor Google out in the cold. Cancer treatments are changing and improving all the time. I found that talking to the nurses at MacMillan helped me through the very anxious times I had.
Wishing you both all the best for the future. Love

So sorry to hear this Winniewit. My brother-in-law had surgery when he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He was suffering from Barrett’s Syndrome, so had regular checks and it was found early. He had the very best care from a great support team at Exeter Hospital, and continued to lead a good quality of life, including holidays abroad, social events, physical activities, hobbies, family events and was very much involved with the hospital support team - professionals & patients - as the treasurer for a further ten years. Once a plan is in place, it will become clearer for you both. Accept all the help and support available. Warm wishes to you both. 💐

All these encouraging messages are wonderful. I'm feeling more hopeful.
Thank you everyone.

It's Gransnet at its very best, Winniewit.
Everyone with you on your uncertain journey.🌷

Winniewit sending very best wishes to you both and hoping you will soon have an action plan in place.

Kalu I'm so sorry to hear this, thinking of you both
💐

Winniewit, Like every one else on GN I am very sorry to know about your DH diognosis, not surprised you are feeling stunned. Thinking of you both , I sincerely hope that the messages you receive on here will give you some reassurance and comfort. 💐💐

I would suggest recording every meeting you have with medical personnel. You can buy a cheap simple recorder from Argos or Amazon. My husband found it very helpful when he was dealing with colon cancer. He refused to let me get involved with his appointments so it was very useful for both of us to be able to go through things on our own time when he wasn’t so stressed. It’s amazing how he mistakenly heard things or forgot things at the time.

Winniewit just wanted to add my support as my husband was diagnosed with the same cancer so I can certainly empathise with your feelings of shock and fear of the unknown.

As others have said, I found taking one day at a time was the only way to stay sane, if you allow your mind to wander to all the ‘what if’s’ it isn’t helpful and you have to be strong for your DH.

I wish you both the very best and courage as you navigate this uncertain journey which none of us ever wants to be on.💐

Winniewit one of my friends mom had this over 10 years ago she had to have part of her oesophagus removed and stomach made smaller . Chemo and radiotherapy . She made a full recovery but has to be checked every year. She lives a full life. The only problem is she has to be very careful how much she eats or drinks when out. Because if she has 2 drinks and say a cake she needs the toilet now. And has no control over her bowel and had accidents when out. So she wears a pad when out and carries wipes and spare clothes. But she rides every week and is very active. She had to cut some food and drink out of her diet as they can trigger IBS. But found McMillan and the hospital dietitian very helpful. Like she says still has a life to live even with limitations.

Get all the information and help you can get and you can get an accesscardonline . It costs £15 pounds for 3 years . It's an easy form to filled lot of questions but especially for your husband it would mean if he needs a toilet and the shop didn't have a public one he could show the card and use the staff one. It covers a whole host of things. And the card has symbols on it relating to your needs . Mine has the symbol for not being able to stand for long which means I can jump queues if they are very long . I have a rare hereditary neurological condition which means standing still makes me wobbly and in danger of falling.

Wishing you both all the best.

Winniewit. This is indeed a wonderful forum for just this sort of problem and the support is second to none. I speak from personal experience. Such helpful, thoughtful grans giving comfort and very good advice I remember.

I wish you the very best. It's tough for both of you.

What a horrible shock for both of you. I wish you both strength and fortitude to get through this and out the other side.
I don't know what the procedures are but I do know that I read up on my son's cancer which was diagnosed before biopsy only to find that he had a different cancer altogether. I read up on that and the journey so far is not what we expected. However, we do have confidence he is in safe hands so we are just taking things as they happen.

Sending you my heartfelt sympathy for this awful shock.
Keep hopeful. I've known so many people who have made marvellous recoveries from cancer.

UPDATE 1
DH has to have a big CT scan last Tuesday. The waiting to hear about an appointment was making me itch.
Yesterday he had a phone to tell him that he has an appointment with the consultant on 1st March.
Ladies I can't tell how much your kind words have meant to me. Thank you so much.xx

Thinking of you both - be brave

UPDATE
We have seen the consultant and there is no possibility of an operation.DH has secondaries on his liver.
He has to have chemotherapy to shrink the tumour and so make it easy to swallow.
He has 2 key workers ,, lovely nurses, who are organising nutrianal drinks, morphine and other pain killers.
I an in disbelief,, so is he,
Thank you for all your thoughts and kind words .

Thinking of you, Winnie and wishing you support and strength in the future.

That’s is sad news Winnie but the chemo may be miraculous although he may feel pretty weak and sick during it
My brother in law after 12 months treatment is now free of leukaemia
My young friend 33 is now going through chemo for thymus cancer and although feeling very sick is really hopeful the treatment will sort it out
Please keep as positive as possible miracles do happen in cancer care now and we are all thinking of you and wishing you so much good luck 💐

Oh Winniewit not what you were hoping to hear. At least there's a plan and good, practical support available. I'm sure we'll all be thinking of you and your husband. Sincere best wishes.

Winniewit chemo has come on a lot in recent years. I have a friend who has just had 6 sessions and is feeling pretty good, more tired than anything and no sickness. She has another 6 sessions to go.

Thank you for updating us and love to you both. Xx

Sending you both my best wishes, Winniewit

Winniewit sorry about your husband's diagnosis. But chemo and radiotherapy has advanced so much since my husband had cancer a different type. McMillan will make sure you have everything you need including benefits and equipment.
💐