Esophageal cancer
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
Originally Posted by zeldachan 
I've been reading all night about people my age who developed it from Gerd due to drinking and then died of it!!
GERD is treatable.
worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
Originally Posted by tomsteve
stop reading about those that died from it and start reading about those that survived and are living a full life with it, like me and others here.
GERD is treatable.
worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.
GERD is treatable.
worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.
Alive in the Superunknown
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: 30.47ºN, 98.15ºW
Posts: 1,460
Originally Posted by zeldachan
My GI is concerned about cancer and is giving me an endoscopy on Friday.
How do I live until then?
How do I live until then?
Remember your Serenity Prayer.
Schedule a time for you to think about your worries -- when you start chewing over the catastrophe you're sure is coming, tell yourself -- wait, that appointment's for two-thirty, I'll think about it then", and then move on with your day. When two-thirty rolls around, you might be surprised at how much less you're worried.
Worry about cancer when they tell you you've got it. Until then you're chewing on rocks.
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northwest
Posts: 4,215
Originally Posted by zeldachan
My GI is concerned about cancer and is giving me an endoscopy on Friday.
How do I live until then?
How do I live until then?
Doctors have their own language and most are so scared of litigation that they tend to do every test possible, especially if you have insurance.
It doesn't necessarily mean anything except that she's ruling out worst case scenarios.
Do you drink coffee? I just remembered the other day my first round of reflux and tests...it turned out if I skipped my morning Starbucks latte...cured.
How about orange juice? Another reflux cause, especially combined with alcohol.
What I'm trying to say is that there are many causes of reflux and many many cases of reflux that aren't cancer. So the odds are greatly in your favor.
Try not to stress yourself. Stress causes reflux!
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northwest
Posts: 4,215
Yes.
I don't know if this will help, but a while back I had to have my first breast lump removal and I was scared blue. Then I happened to be in a meeting with nine other women and it turned out every single one of them had been through the exact same thing...none of them were cancer.
We hear about the horror scenarios because they're, well, horrible, but we don't hear about the tens of thousands of people who have these tests and it's not cancer. I've now been through five different procedures over the years to "rule out" various cancers...all benign.
I know how scared I was the first few times. I'm sending you a hug. But please try not to live in Worst Case World, okay?
ETA: I found this patient education article that may help...it says that only 10-15% of reflux patients have Barrett's esophagus (precancerous changes) and out of those, only 0.5% have esophageal cancer, mostly middle-aged men.
http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=402
Not giving you medical advice here, but if googling is scaring you there is legit information out there that hopefully will lessen that fear.
I don't know if this will help, but a while back I had to have my first breast lump removal and I was scared blue. Then I happened to be in a meeting with nine other women and it turned out every single one of them had been through the exact same thing...none of them were cancer.
We hear about the horror scenarios because they're, well, horrible, but we don't hear about the tens of thousands of people who have these tests and it's not cancer. I've now been through five different procedures over the years to "rule out" various cancers...all benign.
I know how scared I was the first few times. I'm sending you a hug. But please try not to live in Worst Case World, okay?
ETA: I found this patient education article that may help...it says that only 10-15% of reflux patients have Barrett's esophagus (precancerous changes) and out of those, only 0.5% have esophageal cancer, mostly middle-aged men.
http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=402
Not giving you medical advice here, but if googling is scaring you there is legit information out there that hopefully will lessen that fear.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Northeast USA
Posts: 20
Zeldachan, esophageal cancer is pretty rare, though I understand that those worries get under your skin where you can't reach them. That lump in the throat feeling is common with Gerd. I also have gerd, is one reason I quit drinking.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,850
Zelda, hope all turns out well. I had to have a barium swallow some years back, turned out just fine. But, I was SURE it was something bad, I suffer from white coat syndrome, and usually think the worst. It turned out good. Try to think positive, and don't fret too much. Thinking of you.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 98
Hey everyone. Thanks for all your support. I went for the procedure and they found I didn't have esophageal cancer!!! Yay!!! I do, however, have something concerning in my intestines which they sent for biopsy....... So I'm still waiting on that! I'm kind of beyond nervous now... I'll let you all know more when I do.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Glad to hear that the tests came back negative Zelda. I deal with health anxiety too so I know how painful it is to wait. Try and remember that you are still here and life goes on, even if something does happen to us health wise.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Warwick RI
Posts: 1,276
Originally Posted by zeldachan
Hey everyone. Thanks for all your support. I went for the procedure and they found I didn't have esophageal cancer!!! Yay!!! I do, however, have something concerning in my intestines which they sent for biopsy....... So I'm still waiting on that! I'm kind of beyond nervous now... I'll let you all know more when I do.
Luckily you are following up on whatever symptoms you are having.
What symptoms are you having?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Wcoast US
Posts: 106
Yeah, me too
Zelda,
I have terrified myself about just this thing several times when I had different throat symptoms. My father and eldest brother died from esophageal cancer and it’s pretty easy for me to think anything related to my throat, esophagus or stomach indicate I will follow suit. But, hey, I’m 63 and I’m still here with very little indicators of it. I have out lived my father by a decade and am coming up on my brother’s age and am fine so far, even with the drinking. I know that when I stop, my body will be able to heal itself. If you have stopped, your body is already healing itself so that the thing you fear will probably never come upon you. I don’t pretend I know that it won’t, but I do know that your frame of mind is the biggest factor in your well-being and it is better to face the guillotine without fear than to live a long life in heaviness of spirit. The battle is for your mind and you are letting the negative get the better of you. I know it’s easy to do but we’re not here on this forum because we are taking the easy way.
The thing is that I haven’t had any real indications that it is true for me that it will take me, but I have allowed it to ruin my peace and my rest many times. Adversely, I believe that thinking on this vein is more harmful than good, especially when it comes to doctors and tests. Do you have any family history of GERD or esophageal cancer? Even if you do, that is no proof that you will also be affected by it any more than for me. My father and brother were serious souls. Even their humor was dry or dark. Don’t let anything like that have place in your life.
Put on some music and dance and sing for the joy of the wonderful things you have known in your life, no matter how few. The more you look for them, the more they will come to you. Watch or read something so funny it hurts. Think of people you have known and things that you have experienced and give thanks for how wonderful it was/is. This is healing to not only your mind but your body as well.
Are you aware of the impact of your thoughts on your physical body? Look into it. By just buying into the idea that you will succumb to that particular thing puts you in a higher risk. Lighten up. Put it behind you, beneath you. Believe for good things for yourself and find things that bring you joy and encouragement and a laugh, setting that scary idea way, way back in your mind so that it cannot work itself against your well-being. Truly.
I have terrified myself about just this thing several times when I had different throat symptoms. My father and eldest brother died from esophageal cancer and it’s pretty easy for me to think anything related to my throat, esophagus or stomach indicate I will follow suit. But, hey, I’m 63 and I’m still here with very little indicators of it. I have out lived my father by a decade and am coming up on my brother’s age and am fine so far, even with the drinking. I know that when I stop, my body will be able to heal itself. If you have stopped, your body is already healing itself so that the thing you fear will probably never come upon you. I don’t pretend I know that it won’t, but I do know that your frame of mind is the biggest factor in your well-being and it is better to face the guillotine without fear than to live a long life in heaviness of spirit. The battle is for your mind and you are letting the negative get the better of you. I know it’s easy to do but we’re not here on this forum because we are taking the easy way.
The thing is that I haven’t had any real indications that it is true for me that it will take me, but I have allowed it to ruin my peace and my rest many times. Adversely, I believe that thinking on this vein is more harmful than good, especially when it comes to doctors and tests. Do you have any family history of GERD or esophageal cancer? Even if you do, that is no proof that you will also be affected by it any more than for me. My father and brother were serious souls. Even their humor was dry or dark. Don’t let anything like that have place in your life.
Put on some music and dance and sing for the joy of the wonderful things you have known in your life, no matter how few. The more you look for them, the more they will come to you. Watch or read something so funny it hurts. Think of people you have known and things that you have experienced and give thanks for how wonderful it was/is. This is healing to not only your mind but your body as well.
Are you aware of the impact of your thoughts on your physical body? Look into it. By just buying into the idea that you will succumb to that particular thing puts you in a higher risk. Lighten up. Put it behind you, beneath you. Believe for good things for yourself and find things that bring you joy and encouragement and a laugh, setting that scary idea way, way back in your mind so that it cannot work itself against your well-being. Truly.
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