Scared please help.

I'm not qualified to give proper advise all I can say is phone the number advertised on here they're really good. I've been through an oesophagectomy and come out the other side OK. Like everybody will tell you everybody is different. All I can say is I wish you all the best and I'm sending some love your way. 

Morning Sam, It is a scary time when you have just had an endoscopy and awaiting your results. I am not a doctor, but will tell you what happened from my experience. The docters took pieces of my tumour away for a biopsy which will tell them if it is cancer or not,  At the same time as the biopsy I was booked in for a CT scan the drs may also ask for a pet scan too. I am afraid it is a bit of a waiting game though until you find out the results. Which will take a week or two, this may seem like forever but the drs will be putting a plan in place for your mum. 

In my profile if you click on my name I have explained everything I did to combat the issues of eating as go back 3 months ago I was really struggling and could barely swallow water. I know its a bit wordy but take a read, the first thing I would recommend is speaking to your dr they should be able to prescribe you with protein drinks if she is struggling to eat and ensure she gets the right calories in her.

I hope this helps, sending you love in these difficult times. If you have any questions feel free to add and message me or respond in here :)

As Dave said we aren’t qualified to give advice here only share our experiences.

What your Mum is going through so many of us have been through before her. 
I had my endoscopy eight years and received exactly the same comment at the time, that there was a tumour and it was probably cancer. The natural reaction is to panic and believe that it a death sentence. A week or so after the endoscopy the histology results were back and I had an appointment with the consultant who confirmed that it was malignant. The next few weeks were a whirlwind of scans and tests before a multidisciplinary team (MDT) met and did an initial staging and decided on a treatment plan. For me it was chemotherapy followed by surgery followed by more chemo. This is what was commonly called the curative path. These days many centres include radiation therapy too. If the staging had been different there may have been more scans and further chemotherapy before surgery was considered.

Here I am nearly eight years after surgery fit and healthy and until the pandemic hit, I was happier than I had ever been.

I don’t know how old your mum is, nor how active or fit she is, but if I were to give any advice it would be to get active and fit. Even when getting chemotherapy fitness is so important.

I hope this helps.

Hi Sam   I'm  not qualified to answer you medically  just tell you what happened to me.    In June 2021  I was admitted with severe swallowing problems and was fitted with an NG tube through the nose and fed with liquid feed.  This went on for 5 months until my operation three weeks ago and now I am back eating soft solid foods for the first time.  Liquid feeding is inconvenient but tasteless and painless.    Getting your timing right you can fit in a few hours each day away from the feeding routine.

      Best wishes   Maurice.

Hi Sam2021,

So sorry to hear about your mum. There was a talk at the OPA by Mr Gossage (my surgeon) https://www.opa.org.uk/edit/files/opa_london_zoom_meeting_2020_talk_by_james_gossage.pdf which goes through some of the diagnostic procedures for this cancer. It's well worth a look. I'm sorry you have had to be on this site, but there is hope. I was treated in 2018 and am still in remission. 

Hello Sam2021

Sorry to hear your mothers news. I went through exactly the same as your mother back in 2009, I had trouble swallowing but my doc didn't refer me to the local hospital, he thought I just had a sore throat (which I did in fairness). In the spring of 2010 I had the tumour removed along with part of my oesophagus and part of my stomach. I can still do most things but at a slightly slower pace. I'm sorry but I wouldn't know what they decide to do for your mother but rest assured she will be in good hands like I was 12 years ago