Hello My wonderful husband has recently been diagnosed with Oesophageal Cancer and I want to help him as much as I can .

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Thank you for letting me share your journeys.  I admit to feeling both frightened and sad but I am determined to do the absolute best for my wonderful husband . What is your best advice for when he Grinningarts Chemo please I am so grateful for this group .. hopefully neither of us will feel so alone knowing you are all there GrinningX

  • Sorry I accidentally put a Smileface it should read “ starts “

  • What type of chemo is he having? Is it FLOT chemo? Or is it chemoradiotherapy? Is his cancer curable/treatable? I'm starting FLOT chemo tomorrow before surgery this autumn

  • Hello We find out tomorrow we hope . they have said it is treatable with surgery after treatment . Good luck tomorrow I may not know you but I will be rooting for you 

  • On 2nd session of FLOT chemo. Side effects not too bad. Felt nauseaus first 5 days after chemo and tired at times. But never lost my appetite completely just fancied different things. Also managed to potter about house & garden doing little chores & having short walks. I was on a soft food diet due to swallowing probs but now I can eat fish cakes, sandwiches, I had a King Prawn Alfredo yesterday. Couldn't have eaten that a month ago. So chemo will improve your husbands condition hopeffully soon. Hope he is lucky & doesn't have too many chemo side effects. Don't listen too other peoples horror stories. Everyone is different. Good luck. Julia

  • Hi Madsy, I’m supporting my hubby at the moment. Everyone is different but I’m happy to share my ideas. Dave’s swallowing improved as soon as he started chemo which was good so a big focus for me is making sure he has tasty nutritious food (plus treats if he wants!.) I make sure I cook him a good breakfast on chemo day (actually everyday) something involving eggs like an omelette. If he is needing nutrition through a tube I imagine this would be something really important you can organise for him. My heart goes out to people managing this on their own. If your hubby is having oxilaplatin he may get extreme cold sensitivity so it can be unpleasant eating or drinking anything cold, or touching cutlery, getting anything out of the fridge and just going outside is unpleasant if it is not warm. So I try to do anything for him that helps him avoid cold stuff. I got him some thin gloves (actually merino glove liners from the camping shop) and a balaclava for outside (it’s winter here at the moment) and I do him a hot water bottle to cuddle up with when he gets home. He appreciates warm drinks, or at least room temperature rather than cold. They usually give steroids with the infusion so he might be a bit hyped for the first day or two then there can be a bit of a slump. I make life as easy as possible for him without babying him too much. Good luck, it is so sad and scary but your love will help you be strong.

  • Hello everyone Thank you so much for your support so far Sorry I haven’t replied sooner but it’s all been horrible to be honest .  Initially we were told it was Chemo then the big operation .Following a PET Scan it revealed what we later found out to be cyst however a specialist radiographer found something much worse which then meant an operation was no longer possible . He is going to be given Chemo ( not FLOT) and Radiotherapy together which will also involve a nasal gastric tube .   
     Seeing Oncologist in two weeks to get details . We all remain very positive but we don’t have a clue what to expect ( at least for two weeks )  and would welcome any advice anyone has to offer please especially about will he be able to drive etc Lilla55 how fantastic are you with your advice . Sorry for rambling I just feel a bit lost at the moment I just want to wrap my husband up in cotton wool and tell him everything will be ok

  • Hi please see my post below as your advice was fantastic and you are so right our love will keep us strong

  • Hi Madsy, I'm very new to this journey so I don't have any practical advice. Other than to say I'm sending positive vibes. I'm planning on arranging some art therapy for my husband and my son when I eventually tell him. While it's hard for us with this cancer, it is also truly awful for those who love us. 

  • Hi SuzieW  Can I just say how you will never feel alone here whilst on your journey . I send you loads of positive vibes back . I watch my husband  carry on each day with such grace that not a soul Smileuld know unless he told them .Your husband may find just reading other people’s comments helpful . Good luck with your journey and never feel alone Smile