Husband starting chemo stage 4

Hi SLC

I'm so sorry to hear this. Your husband does seem to be have gone downhill very quickly in the last couple of months. It's so distressing. Have they not offered him a stent to help with his eating? My hubby has just had one fitted because he could no longer swallow anything. It's still sore at the moment but he is already starting to eat soft foods on Day 3.

He has been through 7 rounds of Xelox/Capox and initially it did help alleviate the swallowing issues and pain. The side effects were manageable. Very happy to help with any strategies for dealing with them, if you need any advice. When side effects were causing too much disruption, our oncologist did dial the treatment down to 80%. Might be something worth discussing.

I hope tomorrow goes OK. I wasn't allowed to accompany my hubby into the unit so I always planned something to do in the interim. The first time I went shopping and sat in a coffee shop and just cried. But I got stronger over time.

Feeling for you.

M

Hello Martha, thank you for your reply. I had a massive wobble this morning when it all got too much. Feeling calmer now, my husband hadn’t been offered a stent, he had been managing to eat some things but even well blended soup is now difficult. We don’t have any other options for us other than the chemotherapy so we are going to have to give it our best shot. Hopefully like your hubby the side effects will be manageable and he will be able to eat again.

I was in a broadly similar position. The chemotherapy helped a lot with my eating for a time, and a stent came only several months later.

The chemotherapy unit are used to coping with people in all different stages and conditions. They should look after him properly.

Best wishes.

The chemo I had for 4 cycles worked amazingly. Suddenly in the fifth cycle the cancer came back aggressively nd now it is difficult eating and drinking as in the beginning. It has also tigresses to my hips. They are suggesting radiation for the hips, anew combo of chemo and immunotherapy and a stent for the oesophagus . Has anyone had this? Does anyone have good or bad things to say bout a stent?

Hello PJR

I am sorry to hear the predicament you find yourself in. My husband has just had one round of chemotherapy which we’ve just about managed okay, still not able to eat anything other than fortisip drinks. His cancer has spread extensively but we haven’t been offered any other treatment as of yet. I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you too and hopefully you will get some helpful replies. 

Thank you SLC. I hope things improve for your husband.

Hi there, I had a stent fitted back in April. The procedure wasn’t too bad and it has enable me to eat and drink. I do however suffer with heartburn/reflux which I didn’t have before I had the stent fitted. Diet is limited but there is advice on what foods can be eaten.

I have had 2 stents fitted. Before each I was unabl;e to take in anything other than liquids. The second has so far worked better than the first, and I am able to eat almost anything.

I found the procedures more uncomfortable than advertised, but am a wimp.

Best of luck

And about the reflux, it is very uncomfortable wjhen it happens, but is avoided by me by not lying down flat - simple gravity.