Join now

Already a member? Sign in

Welcome to Inspire!

What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.

Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.

How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!

corner corner corner

Husabnd Has Esphageal Cancer

Tigerette
  • By Tigerette
  • Posted May 2, 2009 at 1:45 pm · 71 replies
  • Shared with the public
2 Recommendations

My husband was dignosis with esphageal cancer in Oct 9, 2008, he's been on chemo, then on March 16, 2009 went in for major surgery, to remove all his lymp nodes, and mostly all his stomach, now he has to have chemo and the pump for 21 days 1 wek break then starts radiation, and back on chemo pump, for 5 weeks then 4 week break and back to the same thing, I also feed him threw a feeding tube,
All this is so hard on me, I have no family for support, I have to do it all, I also have medical problems with diabetes, heart disease, neuropathy in legs, I have no one to talk to.

Posted in:

Explore topics in this journal entry and replies:

Exercise Cancer Surgery Esophageal cancer Tube feeding Morphine Anxiety Stress Dehydration Heart disease Cipro Hospice care Levaquin Melanoma Diabetes Skin cancer Pain Memory Palliative care Lung cancer Depression Mental health High blood pressure

71 replies

Novagrad

Tigerette:

I'm so sorry about your husband. This has to be very tough on you, being his primary caregiver. This site is a great support system so you have come to the right place. We are here if you need to vent or if you need assistance with something like your husband's tube feedings. Just let us know!

Mimi

Tigerette

Thank You, They really taught me about the tube, I just don't understand all about this esphageal cancer,
it's hurting me not to know much about this and radiation, chemo, I am so exhausted by doing it all myself. I don't know who to turn too.

Thank You so much.

Tigerette

Well, there is a little update on my husband, Now they started chemo for 21 days, every 7 days we go back and they fill up his pump, for 3 weks, then he will have a small break for 9 days, then he will start radiation and chemo on June 1, both at the same time. but i am concern because his white blood count dropped from 5.9 to 2.3, so I have to find out about this. Doctor said he expected this would happen but it will go back up after he is done chemo. not eating, has no appetite, he said all his food don't taste good, but i tell him it doesn't matter just eat. so doctor wants him back on his feeding tube. So I will keep you all up to date.

Tigerette

Well, On Monday I had to take hubby back to cancer doctor, they gave him Levaquin (antibiotic) and a bag of fluids. He's got a infection, then he read about the medicine so they changed him to Cipro. he's still not eating right and now his feeding tube is clogged, I have to take him back to surgeon, so they can put another tube in him, so he can get his feedings. his WBC did come up a little more, now it is 3.2. but still low, he has to stay away from ppl b/c he can get another infection, I am exhausted just from going back and forth. I really think he's giving up. I told him if he cancer don't get to him , then the starvation will.
Well I'll keep you's all up to date.
I'll keep everyome in my prayers.

kayjay35

Tigerette, Sorry to hear of your setback. Keep your chin up and remember you're not alone. You are on my prayer list.

Tigerette

Thank You, i'm really trying.

dreamlady1931

Tigerette--Sounds like a whole lot of responsibility and it's stretching out over a long period of time. With the stress, responsibility and, i'm guessing, a lack of sleep, it may be that your body is shifting chemically. What you describe could be a bona fide case of depresssion. Would you consider seeing a doctor for depression. It would help if you could get some exercise, eat well yourself and generally take care of you, too! But that's a big prescription. I hope that you'll consider to get some help for you!

Please let us know how your are doing!
Mary

Tigerette

Hello Mary;
WOW, Yes i think so too. Today I had to go to my room just so I can take a breathier, Hubby just started on me over eggs, b/c i did not want them, When i say to him that i need help he tells me no i don't. I can not find the time to go to my own doctors, I don't know how i can go. If i go to the store he's constantly calling me then he will yell at me that I took too long. I dam if i do and dam if i don't. and if i'm not here he will not eat or drink anything, i am on him to take his meds, but if i forget 1 day or later on that day he jumps all over me. he starts on e if i take too long in the shower, I'm going out of my mind with him I don't know if this is caused by the chemo and radiation, but it is hard. I have to find someone who I can talk to on the phone, thats the only way i can do it,when i'm up in my room. ty for the advise.

Tigerette

Well on Tuesday, i tried to feed him threw his feeding tube and it was clogged, so I took him back to his surgeon and he took that one out and put another one inm along with so many stitches, it is swallon now and sore, but he needed it done so I can get some food and nutritution in him. he's loosing so much weight, all he tells me is he just can not taste nothing, and when he tried to put another spoon full in his mouth he brings up. so not i'm trying to feed him 6-8 small meals out threw the day. I'm hoping something will help. so now on June 1st he will start his radiation 5 days a week.
so until i hear more i will post any updates I have.
Thank You all for Listening.

Tigerette

Hello;
Well hubby had a new tube put in, this is his 3rd one. but this one is small, it is really swollen, he numbed it. but now it hurts. I have to cal surgeon due to the swollen bad, and i don't know what to do with it. so, thank you everybody i will kep updated.

rose481

I so wish there was someone to help you with the issues you are having. Would you please ask your husband's nurse/doctor about home health care or respite care for you? I really think having someone come in to your home to help you part of the time would give you a break. What city do you live in? Check your phone book. . . there may be something listed that would help you. Please feel free to come here and share with us! I have a chronically ill husband and I know how tired you can get! Please hang in there and know that we are thinking of you!

Tigerette

Hello Rose;
I do have a nurse but only comes 1 day a week, respite, i never heard of, I will check into that. Frankfordhospital, I ask for anything that they can help me out with, said they have nobody else that they can refer me too. I live in Philadelphia, Northeast.Iove being there for him but i also have medical problems, they all know this. It is alot to handle by urself. but i will look into it, anything to give me a break, he has problems sleeping, even with sleeping pills they gave him, but when hes up at night he calls for me and wakes me up so I'm not getting much sleep myself. bbut i know this ain't al about me, I can only do so much in which i try to explain to him but you see he's not comprehending on what i'm saying to him.even when i go to take a shower he hollowers at me for taking so long, LOL. I Thank You for all your kindness and throughts. I really do appreciate it.
Jackie

Tigerette

Well today he went for his refill of his pump, and blood test, and it's only been 5 days and his White Blood Count has dropped, 3.2
so don't think they will be able to keep the pump on him for another 2 weeks, they said they wil keep an eye on it. and he lost another 2 lbs. he is not gaining weight, keep on loosing. I try to ask the dr. about his progress, and said to me that they won't be able to do nothing yet until his radiation is done at the end of June. thats 5 weeks at a time. then they can probable do a ct scan. I really feel inside that these dr's are not tellingus the truth aout it all.
Well I'll catch you up todate next week.
keep on praying fr My husband. BOB
TYVM

dreamlady1931

Hi, Tigerette,

Your husband doesn't seem able to help himself at all right now--and is leaning too heavily on you. I am worried about you. It sounds like his White Blood Counts are very low. That will make him susceptible to infections. When i had chemo, i was hospitalized with infection exactly 11 days after every single chemo session!! I hate to say this but if he was hospitalized for a bit --it wouldn't be good news for him--but it would give you a couple minutes to breathe, sleep, eat.......................
Perhaps there is a church, senior citizen group in your community to help out. Sometimes it is just a matter of finding a group or person that can help.
Thinking of you often! Wishing you the best!

Mary

Tigerette

Hello Dreamlady;
He hates the hospitals he's been in there 5 times already, and every time he comes home he gets that c-diff, which is wicked, He lost 18lbs ina week from that. and yes i do need help & a break. But just you let you know there is a big age difference between us, we been married for 26 yrs. he is 70 and I am 48.LOL. He just had so much in common and both of us were divorced. but i have so many health issues myself, heart disease, diabetes, now since this is going on i have high blood pressure, neuropathy in legs up to thighs, emphazema, high chol, , but any how, it is hard . but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking about us.
And Ihope you are doing well yourself.
GOD BLESS;

Tigerette

Hi Everyone;
Well, today we go to chemo for a refill as long as his white blood count went up, not down, I had to start him on his feeding tube, The way I understand it from the radiologist is most likely he will start on his throat, where as he's going to havea hard time to swallow, they said they do have medicine for it, but it is painful, thats why he has to be feed by his tube feeding, Did anybody have this problem? I would like to know more about it. he lost more weight, another 2lbs, and we will see what he looses today. also they said they can not take no x-rays usually when there into there 17th treatment. so we do not know how this cancer is spreading or not,
OK, well i wil update when i see what hapens today.
Thank You too all who is keeping my husband in there prayers.

Tigerette

Hello Evryone;
Not only am I'm depressed, but now hubby went back smoking, I'm angry and upset, I have no control some how he's getting them,
What else can i do, he suffering now, I keep on asking him if he's giving up he tells me NO. I'm thinking he's not tell me the truth, knowing that he's ging threw chemo & radiation , What can this do to him now? I'm bolus feeding him now so he can get more food into him, b/c all he's doing is loosing weight, I'm killing myself on trying to find foods that he likes, so he will try to eat.I'm doing everything i can to help him,
Does anybody know if there is a website that has a radiolgist where i can chat online with them, or try to get some answers.Everytime we go to his onocologist I can not talk in front of him, but they are suppose to give him test at the end of his 5 weeks i;m sure it's the end of this month.
Well, I'll keep everyone up to date
GOD BLESS YOU ALL

kayjay35

You have to find a support group or someone that can help you. The anger is normal and you have to find a way to vent this anger and deal with this dilemma. It is not easy. But you will get through this. Hang in there and find something for yourself to help you deal with things. It is so easy to do everything for the person with the illness and this will is not helping you. Hang in there and please talk to a doctor or someone in your area that will direct you to the proper resources. We all care about you and are praying for you.. Karen

Tigerette

Hello Karen;
Thank You foryour concern, I talked to my doctor, and all he gave me was some kind of sleeping pills, they do calm me down, But i have app't on the 24th, of this month, and I'm going to mention it to him I also was talking to hubby's case manager, explained to her what's going on, she is going to try to find me a aid that might be able to come and help me out, the only problem is I just can not get to no one to talk to without leavng him alone at home by himself, when I take a shower he hollers at me that i took to long, But i will see what the dr has to say this time, I go when the nurse is here, so someone will be with him.
Thank You for all your help, It's nice to her from ppl that care's and can give you some idea's, I know right now with all i have to do I can not think straight.
Thank You
GOD BLESS;

Tigerette

Hello Friends;
My husbnd went for his refill of his chemo, I was suorised b/c his white blood count went down to 3.1 they gave hin fluids, dehydration again, He also went for his radiation, they also took x-rays which they told me it does'r show no nothing they only look to make sure the radiation is going to the right spot, they are doing more today,they said they will be giving hubby break on July 7,2009. along w/chemo, then they will start chemo again, after test are done, I told them I want ct done, to let me know how the cancer is prgressing, he did not loose or gain weight, stayed the same, which is ok, well i will keep everyone up to date.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL,
I WIL ALSO KEEP EVEYONE IN MY PRAYERS ALSO.

Add to the discussion

Don't have an Inspire account? Join now!

Forgot password?

You