Hi..My husband has just started his journey

Hi Ledslot

Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing the start of the journey that your husband is on. You too are on this journey with him and it can be a little scary at times. 

Do you know what type of OC tumour your husband has at the junction of his stomach?  It is good news to read that they have already agreed that surgery is the considered plan of action after having four rounds of chemo.   Hopefully the mop up chemo after the surgery will be kind to him and he recovers fully. 

There is plenty of information on this site regarding the tumour's and this type of cancer, if you need any information navigating to where that information is kept, give me a a shout and I will add a link.  Additionally there are other forums also like Family and Friends which may be a good place for you to write your thoughts whilst you are waiting on information or of course just add them here. 

The Macmillan team are available on the number in my signature daily and if you or your husband ever feels the need please do reach out to them directly. 

Thinking of you both and wishing you all the very best. 

Lowe'

Hi Lowedal…Thank you so much for your reply…My the tumour my husband has is an adenocarcinoma.  He is fine after his laparoscopy last week and they decided not to fit a feeding tube during the procedure.  But they have started him on Fortisip drinks to top up anything he is actually eating…which is getting less and less by the day.  I am so proud of the way he is dealing with this and we feel quite positive after hearing the plan of action.  A long road ahead but one we will climb!  He hasnt looked on this website yet although I have mentioned it to him…I am sure he will when he is ready…Thoughts are with everyone on this journey…

Hi ledslot I was diagnosed December 2020 with the same tumour just above my stomach I was 61 years old my treatment plan was the same 4 chemo sessions followed by operation then 4 more chemo sessions, after end of January 

Hi ledslot I was diagnosed with the same tumour December 2020 my treatment plan was the same as your husband's after endoscopy and ct scans my chemo started February 2021 first chemo made me very ilwas in hospital for a week and had feeding tube fitted, this put treatment back 3 weeks but came through next 3 chemo sessions after further endoscopy and keyhole surgery to take biopsies was told t great news they could operate as cancer hadn't spread  ,feeding tube was removed April stayed positive and strong as I could and got as fit as I could before op on June 30th operation went well wasome from hospital after 8 days recovery is a slow process had feeding tube fitted during operation gradually built myself up walking more and more daily ,started eating small amounts of soft foods a nutrition drinks and feeding tube at night, started chemo sessions September  2nd lot of chemo was very tough got ill and was in hospital for 5 days but got through all stayed positive and strong ,rgeons told me operation was a success lymph modes removed and tested during op came back clear,it's a long hard tough road but end result can so good hospital team were fantastic through my treatme I used to work in construction couldn't go back to that but started working in warehouse driving a tug truck ,I am eating almost normal again cycle and walk daily as I work shifts so if you have anquestions please ask hopefully Reading my journey will help you and your husband through this difficult time also all my family and friends were fantastic throughout all the best  

Hi Ryss…..Thank you so much for your detailed reply…it really does help when you read of people who have been theough the same….you seem to have not reacted too well to chemo…but got through it each time and as you say have come out the other side and back to work albeit different from what you were used to.  Hubby has an appointment tomorrow with the oncologist to discuss his upcoming chemo.  Having completed all his further tests and it has been confirmed that the cancer is nowhere else except the main tumour site and one lymph node.  So thats a plus for him. His eating is quite painful (back pain) now and he eats very small amounts of a very limited diet.  He feels that although he,s dreading the chemo he says it cant come soon enough as from other reports on here, it seems that the chemo starts to shrink the tumour from the very first round and eating becomes slightly easier.  He,s a fairly fit 68 year old who plays golf and we go on lots of walks so he,s starting off from a fairly good place physically.  He,s also quite enjoying the Fortisip Compact drinks which he has twice a day.  Feels theyre helping him replace some nutrients etc.  I do hope you continue on your what sounds like, brilliant recovery…I may just ask you random questions on here occasionally!  Regards….Ledslot

PS….Ryss…I did show my hubby your reply and he was quite buoyed up by reading it….thank you….

Hi, my husband has cancer of oesophagus.He manages Baxters consomme soup.Ask for Ensure drinks to be prescribed .Got to keep positive.

Thank you Hamster…I will try to get some Baxters soup. I think the consomme is very thin which might work… He has had an awful few days…things seem to have worsened and almost everything that he eats comes back accompanied by awful back pain till blockage is cleared….He feels really disheartened but we are trying to make the best of him being able to have his Fortisip drinks which do stay down!  His FLOT chemo starts in 12 days time…He,s dreading it but wants it to arrive so he may get a bit of relief if the tumour shrinks a bit….But we keep smiling when we can!  What stage of the journey is your hubby on?  

Well, my husband has started his FLOT chemo on Friday….on day two…thankfully no major reactions just yet.  However he,s lost what little appetite he has had, over the last three or four days…just about everything he has, even water makes a comeback!  Managed to get some of his regular meds in liquid form but he,s not having his fortisips…the pain in his back is bad and if he tries some soluble co codamol it just makes him burp so much then after an agonising half hour or so it returns…as do most things…..Feeling a bit lost with it all…Does anyone else have any experience of this?  

I had my first FLOT  on the 1st December. The side effect are much worse the first week i found.Everything improved during the second week and then it started all over again the third week.  I found that the steroids they prescribed kept me awake and i hardly slept for the four days I was taking them, It is hopefully worth it in the end.  I did lose quite a lot of weight due to food tasting metalic but that doesn’t happen with everyone. I had my op and was in hospital for a month due to complications. To cut a long story short I had my last chemo session yesterday, having my pump and PICC line removed tomorrow. This will be followed by a a CT scan at some point And then I have a follow up appointment in August and then hopefully will be able to carry on with my life. I have found myself becoming a cancer and chemo  bore.

One piece of advice I would give that treatment can make you grumpy, it did me, and not really meaning to my nearest and dearest got the brunt of it. Don’t worry if this happens from time to time. I of not normally grumpy so it didn’t go well initially!!