Update on my friend

Got an email from a close friend. We met as freshmen undergrads. We were both math majors. We both went to Michigan to do our graduate work (a nice change from our Brooklyn, NY roots). We have kept in touch over the years. We both ended up working in industry and teaching at Universities.

He has just been dx. with esophageal cancer. I guess he will know more next week in terms of staging, next steps, etc. I don't think he was ever a smoker.

I know I often smirk when someone calls PC the "good cancer." But then I start reading about his type of cancer. I ain't smirking now.

Mel, feeling sad

Post Edited (compiler) : 11/18/2015 2:29:06 PM (GMT-7)

Mel, I am sorry to hear this news. It seems Michael Landon and Patrick Swatze died quiet quickly. I hope your friend has a good team.

That is sad news. A man I know through my church has that. It's hard to imagine having to deal with it.

Hopefully, he'll be one of the ones who can get a good treatment plan.

Andrew

Mel –

Please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend. Whatever causes it, it's never easy to endure the loss of an old friend.

I had a nasty bout with esophageal ulcer (not cancer) a couple of years ago, immensely painful, and even requiring a short hospital stay. But I've been taking a good medicine for it (Omeprazole) since then, and the med seems to be keeping the thing under control.

My point is that for many of us, especially those of us right here on this forum, PCa may be what's in the spotlight, but in reality it's something else in each of our backgrounds that will turn out to be the real bugaboo in our lives.

As in my case, where having an esophageal ulcer is statistically known to progress into esophageal cancer on a regular basis. So in my case I keep a keen eye on this. Meaning regular medical checkups to confirm that the thing stays an ulcer, and ulcer only.

Certainly not to diminish in any way the place of PCa in our lives, but the fact of the matter is that for most of us it's going to be something else, heart disease, stroke, another cancer, etc., that actually does take us out someday.

But again, sincere condolences on the loss of your friend.

Mel -

You're absolutely right. My bad. My apologies to you and to your friend. May your friend beat this thing!

I just did something that I can only blame myself for. Being so accustomed to expecting the worst sometimes, when people report here, that I just read too fast and assumed too much. I will be more careful next time.

Again, best wishes that your pal really will do well.

Even though this is a sad post there is an important point here for sure. Although there is no general screening recommendations for esophageal cancer that I know of I had worsening reflux and asked my GI doctor for an upper GI just to be sure. My PCP thought it was a ridiculous idea, "there are millions and millions of people in this country with reflux and only a few with esophageal cancer and you worry about that??" I didn't listen to him and had the upper GI anyway. The diagnoses were gastritis, Gerd, and small hiatial hernia. Biopsies showed no stomach nor esophageal cancer. So I guess I wasted another $1500 of the healthcare system. Sorry, but I sleep better at night now, knowing what's not there. I strongly suggest anybody with longstanding reflux, gastritis, swallowing difficulties to get this test. It is painless and quick. Who wants to be the 1 in a 1000 that gets this disease..........

Thanks Browntrout.

He is in McLean, Va, which is not all that far from, say, NYC.
That would absolutely be my first advice (do your research and find some world class medicos).

I did reach out and sent him an email, indicating that I'm always here and we can chat.

He said he will call me.

I think he is still in shock. Hopefully, he will call, when he gets more information.

I have no idea what really transpired. My guess is he had a lot of GERD and an endoscopy dx. the disease.

Again, my very brief research seemed to indicate that at Stage 1 you have a 50% chance to be cured. Beyond that, your chances decrease markedly. Most people are beyond Stage 1 when they present with symptoms.

Mel

That will be rough. But if he can endure those six weeks, keeping in mind they caught it early, he can do it.

Let him know he has people here thinking and praying for him. Might not be PCa, but he ps a brother of a brother, and we have his back.

The chief medical officer of my company survived stage 4 esophageal cancer - almost unheard of - and he's still clear 6 or 7 years later. He did say the treatments were painful and his wife said he took a lot of pain meds for a long time.

Billy:

Sorry about the title, although it was bad news and I actually was not trying to be cute with this one.

I've changed the title!

Mel

Thinking of your friend tonight, Mel. The road will be rough, but he has hope!