In October 2024 my husband Marty experienced constant reflux, unable to get this under control using Gaviscon medication he went to the doctor in November. Marty was sent home with omeprazole and underwent a blood test. During this time he was getting comments on how much weight he had lost and how great he was looking, his family didn’t notice the weight loss  too much as Marty was going to the gym often.

A month passed and we got a text for follow up bloods, this came back to show his iron levels had dropped dramatically, he was then sent for a endoscopy in Feb 2025. This found a large gastro-oesophageal carcinoma approximately 10cm grade 3, what a shock this was for us all, his 40th was planned for march so we decided to cancel!

After CT scans it looked like there was possible invasion into his diaphragm and pancreatic body. Everything moved very fast from here we were instantly referred to Christchurch under an Upper GI surgeon. Marty was then taken for a staging laparoscopy and we got the good news this had not gone into his pancreas or did he have any micro cells in his stomach acid.

Four rounds of chemotherpay began in March over eight weeks and Marty was very lucky to get few side effects. His chemo finished and he was booked in for a gastrectomy (stomach removal) in May. The operation went well and we are so grateful to have the surgeon we have on this journey!

After recovery from his total gastrectomy he has now began  his post operation chemotherapy. We are nearly at the end of this journey, although we know this journey will continue for the rest of our lives, we live in hope knowing science and technology is always going forward and their will be some kind of cure or immunotherapy to give gut cancer patients longevity!

It will also continue for our children due to the tumor having a mix of tubular and diffuse-type. Diffuse can run in families. We were told Tongans can develop h pylori which is a bacteria in the stomach lining that can develop into cancers -  Marty is half Tongan half Tokelauan. We have been advised to have our girls do a sample at the age of 18 for this check and a gastroscopy at the age of 30 with biopsies of the stomach lining.

All in all we are positive!! Marty tells me we will grow old together and we totally will!