diagnosed with stage 2 Esophageal Cancer

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Yesterday morning. Which basically means that my condition is probably inoperable.
Six months ago I was diagnosed with level 1 ASD and I was so happy about it. Finally I have an answer to a life long puzzle.

But I can't see anything positive about this latter diagnoses. When I asked the Gastroenterologist if I probably have about one to three more years to live - He said, "Yes, that is probably about right."

When I was young I used to constantly contemplate suicide. Then I discovered that life was more bearable than I initially thought and that some of my unsolvable problems did have solutions.

Now it is all completely out of my hands. Is there a right way for a person with ASD to face the likelihood of death?

Sorry for being such a downer. I just can't come up with a way to put a positive spin on this one.

I’m really sorry for you, I wish I could say something better. I hope there is a chance for you to survive however small.

I think I would live without fear; do the things that my fear has always held me back from.

Be as Autistic as you can be, no reason to add the stress of passing now.

Here's the positive spin:

Knowing your approximate expiration date means you have the opportunity to live life to the fullest every day for the next 1-3 years & not sweat the small stuff. It may be the free-est you ever live & feel. I bet you'll look around and wonder why so many people are wasting their precious time. (I know I would.) IMO, it's because most people don't know when it's going to be their time.. so they just sort of float through life as if they're going to live forever. You, knowing better, can make the most of every day.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

R2D2, you have survived 60 years of challenges that most people never face for a day; now there is another challenge, a biggie, though you are not a beginner in dealing with the slings and arrows of outrageous fate; I know something of how you feel, when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, though mine was an easier form to treat than yours. My outlook was not considered all that good, given an inherent weakness in my immune function. I focused on the process, whatever the outcome. It helped me get through it to take each step as it came, one day at a time, not looking back, not looking forward. I met some wonderful people on the journey, and hope you do too; their energy and kindness seemed to strengthen me physically and emotionally.

So I hope that you too will meet such people as companions on the journey ahead. Your journey will not be an easy one, that's undeniable. Yet I hope there will still be wonderful experiences ahead of you. Right now you will be in shock. This wears off fairly quickly, and your masterly survival skills will kick in at that point. You will have many more of these than you perhaps realise. But for now there will be shock, grief, fear, emotional hurt. I am sad for your current situation. Will be thinking of you constantly as you move through the journey ahead, wishing for the best outcomes for you, and hoping that your are surrounded by care and love to support you through each stage of the process. Best of luck, R2D2, I am glad that you shared this and thank you.

Oh, r2d2, I'm so very sorry to hear this! I think everyone's advice here, is really great----the only thing that I'd add, is..... I think I'd get another assessment (a second opinion), if at all possible. I don't mean to give you "false hope"----but, the fact IS, sometimes doctors get "it", WRONG.....

Really sorry to hear this R2D2. Best of luck with the future.

Like goldfish says, the only slight positive is that now you have no need to worry about your pension fund or keeping healthy. Indulge yourself! I don't remember whether you have children, but if so then I'd probably prioritise sorting them out to give yourself some peace of mind.

I'm so sorry to hear this, r2d2. You must still be in shock. I agree with what other posters have said. Not much to add. I don't want to be falsely optimistic, but I still don't want to think that you don't have any chance of surviving this as there have been cases where people with a hopeless prognosis fully recovered. Please come to WP whenever you can. We are here for emotional support.

I'm so sorry to hear Please know that we're here to support you.

I'm sorry.

So sorry to hear that. We're all here for you. Hope you do have far more time than what the doctor said.

Take care.

Sorry to hear that.

On a more hopeful note. R2D2, the survival rates are not as dire as was previously thought:

Study Details

In the current study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 263 patients who underwent esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma between January 1992 and December 2002. Ninety-seven (37 percent) had cancer in stage I, 63 (24 percent) were stage II, 93 (35 percent) were stage III, and 10 (4 percent) were stage IV. The cancer had spread into nearby lymph nodes in 52 percent (138 of 263) of the patients and Barrett’s esophagus was identified in 62 percent (163 of 263) of patients.

Forty-five percent of study patients had undergone en bloc resection and 18 percent had received neoadjuvant therapy. Seventeen percent of the patients were identified in a Barrett’s surveillance program. During the course of the study period, the percentage of patients presenting with early adenocarcinoma has increased over time, and in the last 2 years, has represented about 50 percent of all resected tumors, researchers found.

The overall 5-year survival was 46.5 percent, and for the last 5 years of the study was 50.4 percent. The overall 5-year survival for stage I was 81 percent; for stage II, 51 percent; for stage III, 14 percent; and for stage IV, 0 percent, reinforcing the importance of early detection. Complications occurred in 61 percent of patients and there were 12 deaths related to surgery.

Source of quoted paragraphs here: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/stor ... fm?id=1074

It's not hopeless, actually. B19 is right.