Im doing a sky dive on the on the 2nd of March with my husband Zach Potts to help raise awareness for oesophageal cancer and funds for Western park cancer centre ( Sheffield ).

My dads story;

3 months ago, my dads was diagnosed with stage 3 oesophageal cancer at the age of 52. He had been suffering with pains in his sternum, hiccups, acid reflux, and had difficulty eating. He went to the doctors a couple of times and was told he had a h pylori infection and was treated with antibiotics but the symptoms didn’t go away and pushed for a endoscopy. Straight after the procedure he had the devastating news that he had cancer. Later that day all 3 kids were told separately, my brother had to be told over a phone call as he was in Iraq and it was easily the worst day of our lives, as it is for anyone who is told themselves or loved ones have this disease.

My dads tumour is in the lower part of his oesophagus/near by lypth nodes .His treatment plan is 4 rounds of FLOT chemo followed by an 11 hour operation finished with a further 4 rounds of chemo .

Awareness;

Oesophageal cancer is a type of cancer affecting the oesophagus (gullet) – the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Oesophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the uk, yet not many people have heard of it, know what it is, know the symptoms or know that it has one of the lowest survival rates for cancers and it’s one of the hardest to treat. Although recent technology ( pet scans ) are really helping higher the survival rate.

The only cure for oesophageal cancer is to have an operation. Prior to the operation patients must have chemo/radio therapy to try and shrink the tumour. The operation is around 11 hours long, a lung must be deflated to get to the cancerous area and the tumour has to be removed as-well as possible lymph nodes that have been effected. In some cases the stomach/part of also have to be removed . Early diagnosis is key but sadly often not the case as the symptoms don’t tend to show until the cancer has progressed to stage 3/4 . If the cancer has spread further than the tumour itself ( other organs, bones) then surgery isn’t an option and only chemo can be given to help with symptoms .

The symptoms for oesophageal cancer are;

* Difficulty in swallowing/food sticking

* Reflux/heartburn/indigestion

* Weight loss

* Coughing when eating/swallowing

* Hiccups when eating/lots of saliva

* Change in taste/not relishing eating

* Nausea

* Anaemia

It’s unknown what exactly causes oesophageal cancer but the following can increase your risk;

* persistent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)

* smoking

* drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time

* being overweight or obese

* having an unhealthy diet that's low in fruit and vegetables

Early diagnosis is vital in the cure for oesophageal cancer, any of the symptoms above should be taken seriously and if your worried push and push and push until you find out what’s causing them.

We are so lucky and blessed that my dad is a candidate for surgery and is going to be a survivor of oesophageal cancer . The treatments are tough and it’s a long road to recovery but they mean we get to keep our incredible dad/husband who we love dearly, and whome makes us proud every single day!

Donations;

Western park hospital have been amazing from diagnosis, through chemo and will be preparing my dad for the life saving surgery . They help thousands of cancer patients, providing treatments, support and a wealth of information . The hospital runs only on donations so any big or small will be massively appreciated.

Thank you so much for reading ❤️