A blog was requested, so here it is.

As people reading this blog probably already know, I have cancer. It is in the lower esophagus and I'm currently undergoing diagnosis to find out just how bad, or early stage, the cancer may be.

History:

• Late Jan, early Feb, I started having what I thought was mid back pains that needed a chiropractic appointment. One was a particularly sharp pain. So I had a chiropractic adjustment... no help. Later that week food stuck in my throat just before my stomach, hurt, and made me rush for a drink to flush it through. Twice in one week + the back pain in the same place made me think this wasn't normal.
• First or 2nd week of Feb, went to see my family doctor, Dr. Michael Gilbert. He gave me some prescription antacids and booked an endoscopy (scope) for a month and a half later.
• Apr 6th: First scope - Dr. Sawhney took a biopsy and a blood test for analysis. His comments to me at the time afterwords were "I found something ulcer like, but it looks weird." That wasn't encouraging, considering hes done this 100s of times in the past. Either it was an ulcer or it wasn't right? Or maybe it could be multiple things?
• Thu Apr 15th: My follow-up appointment with Dr. Sawhney revealed that there were cancer cells present. No other information was given. I think he had read the report just before telling me, and he looked more shocked and dismayed than I did and seemed at a loss for words. (Least encouraging sign so far.) He said he'd never seen such a thing in someone as young as I (36 yrs old) and that most doctors would not have even have sent me for a scope. That's when I told him the scope was my idea, not Dr. Gilbert's.
• Fri Apr 16th. Dr. Sawhney managed to get me quickly into a CT scan at the Milton hospital. I have a copy of the disk. It's 580+ MB of images of my innards from my neck to my lower intestines in case anyone wants to see it. I found it quite facinating, but honestly couldn't see anything in the trouble area that struck me as being a growth. But I had no healthy image to compare it against.
• Mon Apr 19th. First consult with Surgeon John Miller, head of McMaster University's thoracic surgery division and head thoracic surgeon at St. Joseph's hospital in Hamilton. He made me understand that the cancer wasn't just a lump but rather a thickening around the entire esophagus wall and in parts of the upper stomach wall lining. He suggested that chemotherapy for 2 months followed by surgery may be the required steps, but that further testing would be required before that is finally decided on.
  http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/thoracicsurgery/miller_john.html
• Mon Apr 19th. Kaye and I finally have the kick in the pants to get our Will & Testament and Power of Attorney filled with a lawyer (Richard Furlong in Milton).
• Tue Apr 20th, worked. But didn't get much done. A lot of interruptions by people asking questions, consoling me and looking shocked.
• Wed Apr 21st. Dentist, apparently radiation and chemo treatments require insanely clean teeth (especially radiation therapy, which I don't know if I'll be having yet).
• Thu Apr 22nd. 2nd endoscopy (throat,stomach) and bronchialscopy (lungs) done by Dr. John Miller, my oncologist.
  Also saw a dietitian. They have me on "ensure" or "boost" liquid meal / vitamin replacements to suplement my body's supply of vitamins for when I have surgery and can't eat for 5 days, or for chemo, whichever happens first.
• Fri, Apr 23rd. Working from home so I can actually get some work done today. Also started this blog at Debbie's request.