I am a full time carer for my brother. He went to hospital yesterday morning for an endoscopy and by night was told a mass was found that was cancerous. This diagnoses was based on visual identification alone before blood and biopsy tests returned. The consultant giving the information prided herself in being blunt and upfront about delivering news. It was a brutal experience. I'm not complaining that it was too premature , the tests will confirm or otherwise. We are both still reeling from this but Iwe have no experience of being on the end of this kind of diagnosis. I am on a fast learning curve of how to support my brother and myself on this journey. I don't know whether to talk to my brother about it or if it's the elephant in the room we never discuss. I am reaching out to learn from any shared experiences of how patients and carers cope.
Hi Davidm. I too was told immediately, after the endoscopy, that a suspicious mass had been found, and that a CT scan and blood tests would follow very quickly. My husband was with me at the time and we both feared the worst, and cancer was diagnosed a week later.
All I would say is that once your brother is diagnosed, and if it is cancer, then all of the timelines start to be put in place for treatment. Then it does become very real and action has to be taken. I spent a lot of time seeking out information on Oesophageal Cancer and read a lot of information from the Oesophageal Patients Association. I also googled as many success stories as I could find. I hope you both can find a way to support each other, now and in the future. If you have any questions regarding anything to do with your brother’s health, you will find this forum sympathetic and useful. Thinking of you both. Julie
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