My hell ( esophogus cancer)

[titanium3m]

My story starts out about two months ago when I was not feeling well with an upset stomach that would not go away. After a colonoscopy which revealed nothing, my doctor scheduled an endoscope which to my surprise led to a call back to the Dr. office the following week. I was told there was a tumor at the bottom of my esophagus where it meets the stomach and that it was diagnosed as high grade displasia. I was given the name and number of a specialist at the University of Penn, I knew this was no joke. After speaking and meeting with the surgeons who had walked me through the procedure I knew I had a rough road ahead of me. They had done their own biopsy a little deeper then the one performed in NJ where I live, and an ultrasound to boot and determined it was cancer. Now people with this disease usually go through a period know as Barret's, I did not have acid reflux or complain about heart burn ever!!
The plan of attack was to remove the esophagus from the throat to the stomach, two surgeons one in the throat and one in the stomacher, 6 hours long!!! I consider myself a newlywed, being married only 2 years and they have been a wonderful 2 years. My wife is a beautiful woman and even more beautiful inside, she has been by my side since day one and I would not trade her in for all the money in the world and i mean that as I sit here and type with tears in my eyes just thinking about how she slept in a chair by my side in the hospital. We have had many tears over this with friends and family, and it has made us even stronger. Now to bring you up to date, I was released out of the hospital last Friday Aug.4, my biopsy of all lymph node in the area are clean and I am writing one of my first ever threads to AM, a board to which I have been a silent part of for many years and learned so much from!!!!. I am not able to eat a whole lot being that my stomach has now been rerouted into an esophagus and is at the top of my throat and the gas and diarrhea is horrible but I am cancer free and have been a fighter through this whole ordeal, there are times when I look in the mirror and see all the scars and think I am a Frankenstein looking but what can you do it is only on the outside.
I have lost 15-20 pounds so far an expect to loose another 15. Going in to this surgery I was 205ish, my plan is to heal up get health eat right and resume bodybuilding I have not mentioned this but I am 39 years young. I know this has been a long read but this is the first time I am talking about this aside from family and friends and it feels good!! Take care, I would rather not here the doom and gloom posts, but if someone has a friend or family member that has gone through this with a positive outcome I would be more than willing to hear from you. Thanks again...

 

[RenegadeRows]

Wow. My prayers are with you brother. Thank God you beat it. It must've been quite the road to travel but you are stronger now that you've come all the way. Good luck with your training and take it easy to start off again, it will come back to you all the same. God bless.

 

[BLANE]

way to tough it out bro, i cannot imagine what you went through, you show a true sign of strength and courage, also welcome to the boards.

 

[AGELESS]

God Bless you - stay strong!! In 30 yrs from now youll look back and see it was just a bump in the road.

 

[Mulletsoldier]

I cannot even begin to imagine what you have been through, and yet you still make this post with only a positive outlook eminating. We have obviously never met or spoken, yet I still wish you the best in full confidence that you will pesevere with this same attitude.

 

[ECTOmorph]

awsome job beating it man, sounds like a scary story

40's are the prime for BBers so good luck with everything

 

[toughchick401]

WOW....you give me hope as well, having battled cancer before seems i will again, thyroid this time.....Sometime in sept when I meet with the surgeon....been a LONG battle...

Stay strong, and your in my thoughts

 

[bioman]

My hope and prayers go out to all of you battling this disease. You are survivors and an inspiration to all.

As Ageless said, someday you can look back on this and remember it as a temporary glitch on your road to happiness.

 

[jmh80]

Wow.

Best of luck man.
May the big 'uns in my signature bring you comfort. :icon_lol:

 

[RipdnTxs2]

Wow bro, I here about these stories all the time someone healthy and then out of no where they are very sick and the outcome could be fatal, but it is good to here u r beating this thing, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on both her breast at different times, it was scary to say the least, but my mother was alot like yourself, tough as nails and kicked the cancers ass and has been cancer free for 5 years now, my thoughts r with u and your family and yea u r lucky to have a strong supportive wife to help u through it, keep your head up and come back better than u were before...

 

[Iron Warrior]

Geez bro, I feel lucky having read your story. Hopefully this will be a distant memory in a long and productive life ahead of you.

 

[titanium3m]

Thanks to all who replied and thanks for the encouragement to not give up. Life is different now thats for sure, and I realize now through just reading your replies that I am not the only one going though as you say speed bumps in life. I will not give up the fight!!! And anyone else battling this terrible disease do not give, modern science is an amazing thing, and the human body is also amazing. Thanks again!!!