Hi, I’m not sure where to start. I’ve never reached out to a forum before, I’m not even on Facebook!
Dad - 71 yrs was diagnosed stage 2 at the end of Feb & started chemo last Friday. He had a stent put in in March as he could no longer swallow but this has made him worse.
Dad can’t have an esophagectomy as he wouldn’t survive, lung capacity is at 50% (due to COPD) nor radiotherapy (due to lungs & heart again wouldn’t survive) we’ve been told he’s terminal & chemo should shrink it & suggested that he has around 18 mths.
Anyway, as I said he is only stage 2 but seems terrible, the stent is agony, he’s still not eating, lying on his back means he can’t sleep, he’s in constant agony.
Chemo is causing peripheral neuropathy, sickness, & a low temp & the weight is dropping off him.
my question, we know that it’s not an aggressive cancer, (although this has got to stage 2 in under a year as he suffered from Barrett’s Oesophagus & underwent regular Halo treatments)is he’s just stage 2, he’s complaining and adamant it is in his bones (no evidence on PET scan) but he just seems to be fading away & we expected him to feel il but better than this, as he’s not in the final stages so to speak.
has anyone else been early on with this cancer & not improved at all even with chemo. & how quickly can it take them, (I understand it can be to do with mind set, but he does seem to be be trying & he’s had pinned our hopes on improvement rather than worsening).
Any response is more than welcome thanks for reading.
