Recent diagnosis

Hello MrsG738520 

I am Brian, one of the Community Champions here on the Online community. I have just noticed your post has gone unanswered. I can't answer it myself as I have a different cancer, however by me replying it will be "bumped up" to the top of the page and hopefully seen and answered by other members of the group.

Here's a link which may help you.

Oesophageal-cancer.

I wish you and your husband all the best on the start of his chemotherapy journey. If you have any questions regarding this we do have another group you can join and here's the link:

Chemotherapy forum 

Best wishes - Brian.

Dear MrsG738520. I was so sorry to read your post and although my Oesophageal cancer diagnosis in May 2023 was different to your husband’s, I can relate to your question of how do you process this information and carry on. I remember in the early days, my husband and I going for a walk and both of us realising that the diagnosis was not good, and just not believing it was happening. I felt totally panicked at times and then would calm down and start to think that if there was treatment available I would take everything offered to me.

For me, I found that once treatment started I began to feel more in control and that I was doing something to fight back. I don’t know if this helps you, but I hope it does. You are not alone and people on this forum will try and help you if they feel they can contribute in any way.

Take care of both of you. Julie 

Thank you Julie and Brian for your replies. Chemo and immunotherapy started yesterday so hopefully they will stop the spread and even shrink the tumours. I think psychologically the treatment starting helped us both. The battle has begun. 

Hello MrsG738520 

Thank you for your reply - i am of the opinion that a positive attitude is half the battle and as you say he's started treatment and you have a plan. I hope it goes well for both of you.

If you need any help remember our Support Line is there for you both on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days a week).

Best wishes - Brian.

Hiya , 

My husband was diagnosed in November last year . December was a blur and the worst month of our lives! Especially when your told it's terminal and go home and enjoy Christmas .We talk about it a lot now. I have to say things felt so much better when he began Immunotherapy & Capox at the end of December.

A lot has happened in 2025! Today we are waiting for his results from his PET scan to make sure the cancer isn't there . He had surgery in June , something we only dreamt of before. 

This forum got me through December

I wish you all the very best 

Tiff x

Hi Tiff

thanks for your reply. 
my husband started chemo x2 and immunotherapy last Monday. He was ok for a couple of days but then got nausea and his mood has gone very low. He’s also mentioned stomach pain. You just don’t know what is due to cancer and what could be side effects. So did your husband’s treatment work well so they decided to do surgery?  Because cancer has spread to liver we were told they wouldn’t do surgery just chemo. I know we have months of hell to get through and we are only on day 4. 
I do hope the pet scan results are positive news for you. 
kind regards 

Mrs G

Hi Mrs G, 

Sorry to hear about your husbands side effects . He also went through nausea , low moods, tumour pains , blood clot and sepsis. He was seeing pain management team . He was prescribed fentanyl and morphine .  The side effects are just so different for different people. 
Yes, treatment worked well for him. He kind of went from a zombie to himself again in about 4 days . He went from not eating to eating. It was like he came back from the dead. A truly horrendous time through December, just waiting for things to start. 
He had a PET scan in April and we were told treatment is certainly working . A few days after that MDT decided they could operate. My husbands tumour was huge , described as a small football by his surgeon .  He was T3N3M1 . The lymph nodes were in his tummy , they were gone about half way through treatment. 
Thankyou , eagerly waiting for the results which will given on Monday

we also got a 2nd opinion from the Marsen in London but stayed with the Nuffield hospital and Derby Royal

Tiff x

Hi Tiff

thanks for your reply. It helps so much chatting with people in the same situation. 
I was considering a second opinion. 
I lost my dad to cancer in covid lockdown and my sister to leukaemia last October. She had chemo for 4.5 years every month and the chemo destroyed her body. 
Now my husband has it. Unbelievable really. 
Keeping everything crossed for your husband for Monday. 
mrsG

Mrs G, Im so sorry to hear of the heartache you've experienced ️ 

I'll keep everyone posted on the results of the PET scan . Please let me know how he gets on with his treatment. Is it Capox and a pembro? 

Tiff x