SDianneB Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Ok, so my job thing has stabilized for now, but I've felt so awful lately (acid reflux, sore belly) that I've just not felt like posting. I'll try to give this update as briefly as I can -- it's almost like a bad episode of the Keystone Kops in part! Last week, the Pulmonologist said he thinks I have a gallbladder problem. He did NOT think it was about cancer, but ran a liver profile (lab) and said we'd do a CT scan after that. They called me Monday, said my Lipase was "a little high," and he wanted me to go ahead and have the CT scan. I reported Monday afternoon for the scan. I waited 2 hours, and was told there were 3 ahead of me, one of the machines was down, and would I mind going across the street to the imaging center? NO!!! It was great -- I was the only one there at that hour so I got all the attention! My doc (Pulmonologist) is out of the office, so they arranged for me to see an associate after the scan. He tells me I have "multiple mets to my liver and pancreas." Oh brother. Did NOT want to hear that. Was ready to run to Addie's house and crawl in with her. Spent the evening trying to explain this to my sister, and what they would likely do, etc. Called the next morning to get into the Oncologist's immediately. After I wait there for a few hours, the doc finally comes in and says, "We are a little perplexed - why are you here?" So, I tell her the story of the lab work, the scan, etc. She shows me the report, and goes back over everything -- what they are reporting as liver "mets" are the very same lesions (hemangioma) that I've had from day one. Same place, same size, no activity at all - not ever. She thinks that they didn't know my history so were basing this off just what they saw on this one scan. She does NOT think there is any cancer. She agrees with the Pulmonlogist -- that there is something going on with my gallbladder causing it to be distended. So, I go this afternoon for an ultrasound of my belly, then a PET scan next week, and I see a gastroenterologist next Wednesday so will hopefully get some relief from my sore belly. At this point, looks like "something" in my gut, but we just don't know what. Looks good right now for it NOT being cancer, so that's good to know! Hope you are all hanging in there. I read every day, I just can't always muster up the energy to post. I think of you often, however. Di Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelliemacs Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I would be LIVID at that person who told you you had mets and go back and kick his butt. but a big WHEW on the seriuos doubt of mets. lets hope you just have really bad gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 well, Criminy, Di. Sure been missing you.. What an ordeal...what a story. Too bad the radiologist didn't run across the street to check out your previous scans for comparison...sheesh! It is these kinds of things that drive me up a flippin' wall! Wow. You are talking to the sister again. That is a good thing, right? Hope your belly gets straightened out. Gall bladder stuff can hurt a bunch. I had lap chole in 2000 finally, after months of *ickin' around. They couldn't find it on the ultrasound. The radiologist reading the CT missed the stones. The surgeon insisted that I had it removed and just couldn't remember. Then she decided that I was one in 4,000,000 born without a gallbladder. So off to the GI where they were highly suspicious that I was drug seeking. Colonoscopy and esophageal endoscopy on the same day.. the prep left me projectile blowing from both ends...very very bad scene. After much nausea, missing work because of pain and in ER all night and on morphine I don't know how many times, almost getting fired because of calling in sick to work, finally...four months later, I was set up for a scope into the biliary tree. The MRCP (mri of the U/R quadrant finally revealed that skinny gallbladder responsible for all of my troubles) Gallbladder was tucked in a fold in my liver. Oh that felt good to get that out. This is just an example of my nightmare experiences with most all doctors and illnesses that I come into contact with. That is why, when I do find a good doc, I am ever so grateful. Hope your experience is so much unlike mine. Please. Good to see you Di. Glad that you are out there. Glad that you are not curled up next to poor Addie. love ya, Di. cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Hi, Di! Sorry about the mix-up. All's well that ends well. Hope the gastro thing gets corrected soon. Yep, hanging in there, like you. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Yeah, I'd say even with all the mix-ups, sounds like all's well that end's well (hopefully, for sure) and that's the important thing. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I think that one of the worst aspects of the many negatives we deal with because of Lung Cancer is spending a lot of our time being unsure of how we are. To the person who eroneously reports findings from scans, etc. it is almost as if we should be glad that things are not as bad as we were led to believe. And we are glad when the news turns out to be better than what was first reported...but here's an apparently novel idea: How about we be given the correct information right from the start? Guys, I guess I'm showing my age here, but I actually remember a time when that was so....the majority of the time the information I would receive would be correct. And I miss those days. Hope you're feeling better very soon, Di. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Di, I donated my gall bladder the December after the February I donated my lungage... I had an ultrasound and had no stones, but a function test showed that the ol' gallbladder was on a permanent coffee break. The innards doctor decided that with a history of cancer, I would be better off with the rascal out of there so he did the ol' Freddy Krueger squeeze (scars from the lap. look like Freddy almost had me) and pulled it out. I was walking the mall with Mom the next day (had an ice bag on my tummy, too, but was walking). The secret is to get out of bed and walk if you can.... The innards doctor's reason for taking it out was that if in future I were to need chemo, THAT'S when the ol' gall bladder would be at its worst - and they wouldn't be able to remove it then. While he was in there, he peeked at my liver and told me it was "beautiful"...(good thing he didn't pull a Hannibal Lector and have it with onions, huh?). I sure hope you aren't experiencing full blown gall bladder attacks, though. My ex-father-in-law had one just before I married his son and the ER he went to thought he had had a major heart attack and couldn't stabilize him...and then he was fine after a LifeFlight to University of Michigan.... Yep, sure hope you aren't going through those - I had one "slight" attack, and that was more than enough pain for me... Good luck! Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Hey...I didn't know that *ickin' around is a bad word...are you sure?? My old boss said that all the time and I never once heard him swear in all the 10 years that I worked for him. It just means dragging the feet, being inefficient, not getting the job done...etc. I don't think the source is from you know what....but, then again I might learn something new.. Since my brother's name was Dick, I still have a difficult time grasping the changed meaning of that since I was growing up. okay? Sorry Di.! (didn't mean to cuss on your thingy) cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmek Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I have heard that word used many times also. I never thought of it as a bad word, but yes it is used in place of a bad word i guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmaydee Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 my gosh... what an ordeal..... glad to see you back.... ......s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 Boy o Boy this ride is not a fun one! Sorry to hear about the chaos but really glad to hear that the first prognosis wasn't a good one. Hang in there, Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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