Treatment options/ choices.

Hi laddo I don’t know if your given a choice it makes it better or worse ! I wasn’t given a choice I had chemo then surgery my GI team had a plan and I went with it ! I had my surgery in March and like you did all the things to help got fitter better diet stopped drinking ( I had a glass of wine tonight that I was bought and did not like to say no which is why I’m still awake now at 2am) as I haven’t drunk for ages !! 
A lot will depend on what type of cancer it is and where it is be guided by your team ! In my case surgery was far less brutal as thought and four months on I am back to doing everything I did before in fact friends and family forget which is why I got bought the wine ! Anyway just to say you’re not alone in this journey and nothing is as bad as we think !! Take care now to finish my cuppa and try to get some sleep  Tricia x

Morning Laddo. I can understand your dilemma especially as you have probably read the varying accounts people have had following on from the operation. My own experience was a positive one and although I can’t remember everything (my operation was 31/10/2023) things gradually got better week by week. My own mindset was to have the chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by the operation, and felt reassured that I was in the best hands with regard to this big operation. 
I hope everything goes well for you. Best wishes, Julie

Hi Laddo. I doubt whether us laymen can actually help you with the choice. I had the same alternatives put in front of me but it was made pretty obvious by the experts on my MDT which route they really thought I should go down. You will probably be given an awful lot of statistics on risks and outcomes at your meeting as they are obliged to take you through them. The only advice I can offer is to try and determine from the experts in front of you what they are really thinking your best option is. By the way, I am 2 years past surgery and living my 'new' life happily.

Thank you all for your replies, I appreciate you taking the time to do this. 

My wife and I will listen carefully to the options and to what the Team say to us regarding risks and benefits. I think that a large part of my concern is the length of time it takes for anything to happen so not wanting further delays (as I see it).

We like everyone else have also to weigh up other responsibilities such as caring for others- I spend a lot of my free time taking my Mother to appointments, shopping twice weekly etc., earning income for bills etc., and being there for others. Life doesn't stop because we've been thrown this curved ball with my health. So I suppose we're also considering/ balancing others expectations.

We had a good discussion last evening and we're both apprehensive of either option, we both have seen loved ones and friends die of various cancers and illnesses so aren't walking into this with unrealistic expectations. We also have to look at the practicalities of daily living with either option, from self-care needs through to getting the hedges cut. Then there's the fact that my idea of hell is daytime tv and a soft diet! I am someone who is always on the go, always working either at work or in the garden/ allotment or pottering on diy projects.

More to mull over! 

Whatever decision you make is hard. Good luck Laddo.

Hi Laddo,

I had an Ivor Lewis oedophagectomy nearly 18 months ago (with FLOT chemo beforehand and afterwards). You definitely need a certain level of fitness entering into this process as it is extremely tough on the body. I have had to accept that, even 18 months later, I am still not as physically capable as I was beforehand. I now pay to have my hedges and grass cut. I still do little jobs around the house and garden but really need to pace myself more than I used to. Jobs that require bending over are particularly challenging. But, although these limitations can be frustrating, I am glad that I was given the option to go down the route that I did. Realistically, I was told that it was the only option I had if I wanted to stick around. Not much decision making required, huh? I hope whatever treatment choice you make works well for you. Best wishes, CB

Hi Laddo

I had oesophageal cancer in 2021, mid oesophagus, squamous cell carcinoma, T2N0M0. I was 53. Standard treatment plan would have been chemotherapy and radiotherapy then operation but due to covid causing issues in the hospital, they couldn't guarantee being able to do the operation within a reasonable time frame. So the new plan was radical chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the same time, and that should give an 18 month window to have the operation if needed. As it happens the chemo & radiotherapy worked really well and there was no sign of cancer at my first tests after treatment ended. I had tests (endoscopy alternating with CT scan or PET scan) every 3 months for 2 years (never underestimate how stressful this is, scanxiety does exist) and I'm now on 6 monthly tests (just endoscopy and CT scan, no more PET scans). At the time we were worried that I wasn't having the standard treatment plan, but I'm lucky that it worked for me. However I am aware that I've still got the affected area in my oesophagus, and the cancer could come back. My oesophagus is not as stretchy as before so I have to eat slowly and chew every mouthful thoroughly. I have to stick to a plain diet, no spicy food, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol. I'm on Lansoprazole 30mg once a day. 

i am glad that I didn't have to choose, this was my only option at the time. 

I hope this hasn't thrown a spanner in the works, but you asked to hear from all view points. 

Good luck with making your decision. 

Amanda 

Thank you for your response, all point of views are appreciated.

I am 18 months and exactly the same as you. I can do everything I did post op but at a much slower pace.  I get very tired around tea time. I still have a pain in my right side where they collapsed the lung which gets worse as the day goes on but I'm thankful I'm still here 

I’m exactly the same. I usually go for a lie down and stretch out after dinner. The pain in my right side is still there and, to be honest, I don’t really think it has diminished much in the last 8 months. But if that’s the price to pay for surviving this disease then I will happily pay it.