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I'm not sure how to start or write this, so I'm just going to start typing. I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at the beginning of September 2023. For about 6 months prior I was having pain (some severe) when swallowing. This was not at every meal or on a daily basis. My doctor thought it had to do with acid reflux and we tried different meds for those 6 months. I have never had a problem with acid reflux before. Finally, in August 2023 it was decided that I should have an ultrasound. The ultrasound did not show much in regards to the acid reflux, but did find something else that I'll share later. The next step was a CT Scan and from there an Upper GI Endoscopy was performed at the beginning of September. Biopsies were taken from the esophagus and two days later I got a call from the surgeon that I had Squamous Cell Carcinoma or in other words Cancer.
He got me in contact with an oncologist at the UofM and Dr. Omer started ordering appointments, labs, scans, consults with a surgeon, chemo and radiation and an immediate full biopsy. For the next month I was consumed with appointments and I swear calls everyday to talk to a nurse or set up appointments. My PET Scan was denied by insurance, but after the full biopsy the PET Scan was approved as it was confirmed that it was cancer. I finally got the PET Scan and it showed that the cancer had Not spread to any other part of my body!!!The only spread was a very tiny lymph node that was cancerous within the esophagus as well as the main culprit. Hallelujah!!!. We couldn't of gotten better news!
The plan is to have chemo and radiation for 6 weeks (1 day a week of chemo for 3 hours and radiation daily on Mondays thru Fridays. This started Oct. 30th. These appointments are an in Wyoming, Mn, which is an hour from my home in Princeton. I sure wish our Princeton hospital/clinic, who brags about having a cancer center, had a radiation clinic, but they only have chemo. So. I drive 2 hours a day-5 days a week for 10 minute radiation appointments. When treatment is finished I will have another PET Scan to see how treatment worked. Then surgery to remove 1/3 of the upper part of the esophagus. Prior to surgery they will be placing a feeding tube in so I will get the correct nutrition.
The other part of all of this is about what they found at the beginning of August when I had an ultrasound. Turns out I have a football size cyst on one of my ovaries. I thought a cyst that size should probably be removed promptly, but the GYN Oncologist I saw did not schedule it until the beginning of December. Yes, 4 flipping months later. Sooo... Now we have the issue of when to remove the football size cyst along with probably both ovaries and uterus as this will be another major surgery. I found a new GYN Oncologist that I like and he thinks he could do the surgery the same day as the esophagus surgery, but the thoracic surgeon doesn't want to do that because the esophagus surgery is already 8+ hours long. I would rather have one major recovery than two-obviously. We will see what happens with it all.
I am very thankful that they caught this cancer before it spread to other parts of my body. I am also proud of myself and thankful that I was able to quit smoking. I am over 2 months or to be exact 71 days cigarette free! I feel like I am getting a second chance at life and that feels amazing! I will continue to work as long as I am feeling well enough.
I hope this all makes sense. Thank you for reading.
Update is all good news regarding the usual suspects but precautionary overnight stay with more in depth cardiological tests in the morning is the plan.
She presented with sporadic a-fib and a-flutter readings when we first arrived, that stuff all disappeared once she was hydrated so her shortness of breath is still a mystery but we're at the right facility for this sort of thing.
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