WWTBAM Bored

My cousin Ted (married to my actual cousin Barb) was just diagnosed with esophageal cancer at 68 years old. This is terrible. After retiring from a 30-year career in teaching and then administration at the middle school level, he went back to school for a divinity degree. He was called to a church in Oregon and was diagnosed with the cancer during his post-employment physical. Since the prognosis is so poor, he is leaving the church in Oregon and moving back to California where they still own their home and Barb can take catastrophic leave and become his caregiver. They originally intended that she would retire next year, sell the house, and move to Oregon with him.

It's my understanding that the prognosis for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer is very poor, especially if it's metastasized, which this one has, to the lymph system. He never smoked, drank only on special occasions, and lived what people sometimes call a blameless life.

I wish someone could tell me I'm wrong. The thought of there not being a Cousin Ted in five years is appalling to me.

I'm so sorry to see this. {{{hugs}}

This is very horrible, but as long as there is life there's hope.

I believe that, literally.

There are new therapies, many based on introducing the immune system to the cancer in a way that gets it to recognize & clobber it.

My best wishes for your cousin.

Not that this is going to make anybody feel any better, but there's a current theory that acid reflux people don't even know they are having (theory says the nerves that would report this are burned out by the reflux itself) can not only damage the esophagus but that somehow this damage can lead to cancer in some people. May be an epigenetic thing; some genetic switch gets turned on or off by the damage, allowing a cancer gene to express itself.

I am so sorry, Sprots.

I missed this post initially, but I'm sorry to hear about this Sprots. Best wishes go out to you, Ted, and the rest of your family.

Playing catch-up here, Sprots, but whatever the odds against him, I hope he beats them.

All the best wishes to him and to you. Very sad.

Thanks to all for the kind thoughts and good wishes to Cousins Barb and Ted. I expect his remaining years will reflect the same deep faith which led him to a divinity degree and religious service. Who knows, maybe his case will be the breakthrough for treatment of this terrible disease. Here's hoping.