Do Not Ignore This Post

It is important that you know how my cancer was diagnosed.

Esophageal cancer is fast growing and can be a bit difficult to treat.  No one should ever ignore the warning sign I was experiencing... not even for a day!

When I ate the food would hit something in my esophagus and would get stuck until I drank enough water to wash it down.  A normal supper would see me drinking 36 oz of water to wash my food down.  I had an appointment with my Family Physician in about 5 weeks so I put off doing anything until I spoke with him.

My Family Doctor gave me a referral to a gastroenterologist.  After the initial consultation, the GE scheduled an endoscopy.

The endoscopy consists of the physician sending a tube with a camera down the gullet.  This tube is also capable of taking biopsies, clipping polyps, and stretching enlarged bands. I was expecting to find an enlarged band in the esophagus that my physician would stretch out and that was going to be the end of my problem..

After the endoscopy, we were in a room waiting for the Gastroenterologst to  review his findings with us.  He came in and sat down and I heard him say, "John, it's bad news.  You have cancer."

This was July 18, 2011.  I realize now, that the time I wasted by not immediately contacting my family physician was enough time for the cancer to move from my esophagus into two lymph nodes immediately adjacent to the tumor.  I should not have waited.
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Here is my point.  When you swallow food and it feels like the food is slowing or stopping at a small place in your esophagus, run, do not walk, to your family physician and ask for a referral for a endoscopy.  The test is painless and interesting to watch.  Chances are you'll have band that can be stretched out or some other condition that can be treated immediately.  But if it is cancer, you need to be in treatment ASAP.  Another condition they might find is something called Barrett's Esophagus.

B E is a condition that will be regularly monitored because it is a area on the esophageal wall that is highly prone to develop cancer.

Never ignore a stricture in your esophagus.  They do not go away on their own. You will do yourself a favor by checking it out.