Not sure what to expect

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Hello all. I guess I just need someone to give some advice. My Mum was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last Wednesday. She’s 91 and has been told she’s too old for surgery/radiotherapy/chemotherapy. Our best option is for her to have a stent fitted so that she can eat more comfortably (she’s been struggling to keep food down and has lost weight). I wondered if other people have been through this procedure and how successful it’s been/if there’s anything we need to be aware of. We’re trying to remain positive but realistic. I honestly don’t know what to expect moving forward.

latchbrook 23 days ago

Hi LiviaCalibri and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

I’m Anne, one of the Community Champions here on the Online Community, and although I've had different cancer diagnoses to your mum I know how a cancer diagnosis affects the whole family.

I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you also post this question in the oesophageal cancer group, which I can see you've joined, as you'll then connect directly with others who have had a stent fitted.

I hope the stent works well for her

"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"

LiviaCalibri 23 days ago in reply to latchbrook

Thank you for the speedy response, Anne. I’ll post in the specialist group too.

Chocaholic28 18 days ago

Hi Livia Calibri, I’m so sorry to hear about your mum. I can tell you that my mother-in-law was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2007. She was 86 and was also considered too old for surgery, although in her case she was able to have a very tiny amount of radiotherapy which gave her a little extra time. She also had a stent fitted which made it much easier for her to eat but the food had to be cut into very small pieces and towards the end of her life she was only having the protein drinks prescribed by her GP.

I hope the stent will be beneficial for your mum too.

LiviaCalibri 18 days ago in reply to Chocaholic28

Thanks Chocaholic! Mum had the stent procedure yesterday and is now under observation in hospital till she’s seen by the doctor again on Monday. So far so good - the procedure has gone well by all accounts but she doesn’t enjoy the staying-on-a-ward experience at all. I’m hoping that the stent will help her eat a little more than she’s managed in recent weeks and perhaps build her strength (or at least stem the decline). It’s only just over a week since the cancer diagnosis - everything seems to be happening so fast!

Chocaholic28 17 days ago in reply to LiviaCalibri

I’m glad to hear it went well and hope it will help your mum to eat more and gain some weight. No, hospitals are not ideal for people of any age. They’re noisy, the beds are uncomfortable and I’m wondering what they’re doing in the matter of feeding your mum while she’s in there. I hope she’ll soon be able to go home.

I should have said in my last reply that my father-in-law, who was Mum’s main carer, used to blend all her meals into a thick soup which made them easier to eat, but hopefully the hospital will advise you about that.

It's an awful shock when you suddenly get a cancer diagnosis, especially when they tell you that no treatment is possible, and I wish you both all the best.

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