overdue update

overall dad has been doing well

he has tackled 3 of 5 chemo (taxol & carboplatin) sessions and has a full radiation schedule which should take him through early January

he has had issues with nausea and diarrhea but they've subsided a bit which has allowed him to get out and about more

he is not eating as well as we would like but doesn't like us to push the issue so we are mostly monitoring and encouraging

since he is a candidate for surgery, once his treatments are complete, the surgeon has requested that the stent be removed which may be a challenge

the surgery to remove the stent is Wednesday, November 28th

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a bit of good news

pet scan results contained no further spread of disease

this means that the cancer is still stage 3 and surgery is still an option

consult with the surgeon has been scheduled and radiation will start on Monday


side effects of treatments so far have been nausea and diarrhea

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today's update

pet scan has been done, now we are awaiting the results

second round of chemo was today, no apparent side effects yet

dad is struggling with keeping weight on ~ going forward we are having him keep track of his meals so we can measure calorie intake vs what he needs to maintain or gain

here is a calorie counter calculator

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update

the stent has been put in to open the esophagus (Nov 7)

...after a month on a liquid diet dad is now able to eat soft foods

he had his first chemo (taxol & carboplatin) treatment this week and handled it like a champ

he wasn't very happy about it but he is now sporting a couple of tattoos
...they are just small dots that are used for radiation purposes

radiation will start after he gets a pet scan (Nov 13)

the most discomforting thing he is experiencing so far is constipation

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treatment plan

a stent will be put in to open the esophagus (Nov 7)

chemo (starting Nov 6)

1. taxol
2. carboplatin

radiation (starting soon)

surgery is an option if the tumor shrinks and disease is still classified as stage III

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diagnosed

1st biopsy negative for cancer with a yeast infection detected  (Oct 11, 2012)

2nd biopsy positive for Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, stage III  (Oct 24, 2012)

symptoms

leading up to testing and diagnosis:

coughing and hoarseness
unable to keep food down
weight loss