Diagnosis

My biggest concern when going in for the endoscopy was whether or not they used the same camera for both ends (if you know what I mean) and if so that they cleaned it off well between the two. Dr. Ford assured me that the one used for the throat was smaller so I had nothing to worry about. We got started about 11:00am and the result seems to be very conclusive. The endoscopy clearly showed cancer of the esophagus. The doctor said that my throat was almost completely closed and he had to work hard to get the scope beyond the blockage. However the fact that I have no problems breathing and relatively few problems swallowing liquids (especially Rye and Ginger) are both positive signs. Following the endoscopy they immediately scheduled me for a CAT scan. I had some difficulty swallowing the barium mix that they gave me, but I got enough down that they went ahead anyway. Initially at least it does not look like the cancer has spread, however there is some involvement of the lymph nodes around the tumor. Additional MRI and other tests will tell us more within the next few days. Once these doctors get moving, it seems they move pretty quickly.