Oesophageal cancer

A lot of us on this forum have had FLOT followed by surgery. I had a few side effects including losing your taste and hair. Everyone is different but your team should have given you information about possible effects. It’s a tough journey and is a lot for the body to cope with but he will get through it. Everyone on here will give you support x Linda

Thankyou so much, we've read as much as possible. Thankyou for your support. It's really nice to connect with people who have had lived experiences x

I had 4,cycles of FLOT over 8 weeks prior to my surgery and it was fine but I lost my hair and my taste buds but I hadn’t eaten for a couple of months before I started it so my taste was pretty bad anyway but the best thing was that after the second cycle I could eat again so that was a plus ! I was lucky as I had no other health issues as it does affect some people more that others ! But just tell your dad to take it one day at a time!! X

Keep a pair of thick gloves beside the fridge and ban him from using the freezer at all. Peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect and he will be very sensitive to cold in places like his fingers, toes, ears, nose, etc. I also wore a scarf wrapped around the lower part of my face if I had to go outside and avoided very cold drinks. Fortunately, using these precautions, I avoided any long term damage to my nerve endings. 

Hi  Freckleface!

Thanks for reaching out and sharing the start of this family journey with the forum, you will find a huge amount of support here, and on other areas of the site like this one  

It is positive to read that the op can be done after 4 cycles of FLOT, and I hope that everything goes well for you Dad, this is a difficult time for you all, but as long as you have each other and can talk, you will all feel supported. 

The Macmillan team are available on the number in my signature for 1-2-1 chat if Dad feels that he needs a private conversation, or indeed if the family need support. 

Lowe'