Timeline since diagnosis

This is how things have progressed since just before my diagnosis. I'll put the technical detail in another post for those who want to know more about the details.

2 or 3 months ago - symptoms

I first noticed something was a bit odd, when I found that sometimes I was having a difficulty swallowing certain foods. I'd get a few painful hiccups and a trapped wind sensation before things would settle down to normal again. I visited my GP and ended up being referred to a Gastro-enterologist for further checks

Friday 7th November 2008 - endoscope & diagnosis

I went to Elland hospital for an endoscopy - a camera down the throat - expecting a diagnosis of acid reflux or something like that. Unfortunately my consultant told me that I had cancer of the oesophegus - a bit of a shock, but as he was quite certain, you just have to take it in your stride I suppose. I know you are supposed to pass through five stages - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, but I genuinely feel that I jumped immediately to acceptance. I asked if the cancer was treatable and was told that it was. I realise now that I asked the wrong question - I should have asked if it was curable, but I would probably have been told at the time that they didn't know enough, so I guess I'm glad I didn't ask that!

Tuesday 11th November 2008 - CT Scan

Next stage was a CT scan to get more details about the size and possible spread of the cancer. This procedure involved drinking a litre of a barium drink which tasted suspiciously like Pernod (at 10am in the morning, too!) then having an injection of a dye which was a lovely experience - I was warned that I'd feel a warm flush going around my body, and it was just that, you felt it go up the arm, into the brain then around the body. It would have been fantastic to have after coming inside out of the cold - just like turning the central heating on inside! Then I had about 10 minutes going through the donut of the scanner - nothing interesting to report there, a very easy experience.

Thursday 13th November 2008 - CT & MDT results

On the 12th November, the results of the CT scan were discussed by the Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) which includes the surgeons, oncologists and various other "Upper GI" specialists, and I then met my consultant on the 13th for the follow-up. This was a bit of a scary meeting because I was expecting to find out if I was curable or terminal. Initial signs are very good - tumour is localised with some local lymph-node activity, but no evidence of any spread to other organs. Although cautiously optimistic, they wanted me to have two further procedures to get more detail.

Monday 17th November 2008 - PET Scan

This one in a truck at Bradford hospital - very similar to the CT scan, but with a different "contrast" - something radioactive this time - dispensed from a two inch wide Solid metal syringe which came out of a lead-lined safe! I was warned not to go near small children or pregnant women for 8 hours after the scan!

Friday 21st November 2008 - Ultrasound Endoscopy

Another tube down the throat - but under sedation this time. Cool! Doc told me that they had pretty much confirmed what the CT scan showed, but there is one tiny area near the liver which is inconclusive and they can't get to it to do a biopsy. Hopefully not significant, but if it is could make the difference between cure or terminal, so unfortunately an area of uncertainty until they redo the scans after my chemo cycles. Have been advised not to let it worry me and that's the advice I intend to take!

Monday 24th November 2008 - Meeting with Oncologist

Very feisty lady - while I was there she took a call from Toshiba who were supposed to be delivering her a new laptop and tore a strip off them for being late! Her first question to me after she put the phone down what what my occupation was. When I said I worked for Hewlett Packard she felt a bit guilty! I wish I'd said I was the delivery manager for Toshiba! :)

She confirmed all the above and told me that the second MDT meeting covering my case had been the longest she had ever attended! All about the implications of this 0.9cm x 0.5cm thing near the liver. Result was to continue on an aggressive curative strategy and worry about it later if need be.

Things started moving quickly now ...

Monday 24th November 2008 - Insert PICC line

Straight after meeting the Oncologist, she got me in to have a "Periphally Inserted Central Catheter" inserted. This is a tube into the crack of the left elbow which runs up the large vein in my arm, across the top of my chest and down to near my heart, through which all my chemo treatment goes. Sounds much worse than it is I promise! This line will be in until January.

Tuesday 25th November 2008 - Hospital for first chemo drug

Checked in at 10am and was in overnight through til 5pm yesterday. Connected to IV drips for 24 hours. Only 4 hours of which is the Cisplatin chemo drug, but there needed to be 4 hours of saline flush before and 16 hours afterwards as the drug has a bad effect of the kidneys. Cisplatin contains pure platinum, so I must be worth a fortune at the moment!

Yesterday moning they also fitted my "5FU" bottle, which I am wearing around my waist until Saturday