Update on My Mom

[famograham]

So, today we finally had the appointment with the internist who did Mom's biopsy on the 1st of April.

Like I said before, the biopsies and bone scan are negative, great news.

I mentioned the cryptococcus thought to him. He told me that I was correct in my thinking, but he still believes it is most likely cancer because usually crypto shows up in the outer areas of the lungs and not in the center chest area like Mom's tumor.

He told us that when he was doing the biopsies, Mom had quite a bit of bleeding, and her oxygen level got quite low (is this really bad?) so he had to stop before he had everything he wanted.

He got 4 different samples however, and all were negative.

SO - She has a new appt. for a new biopsy. This time, called a wang needle biopsy. Still goes trough a bronchoscope, but he seems to think this might work better.

Has anybody had this type of biopsy? How was it, and what kinds of results did you get?

He also said that if this doesn't work, the next step would be a mediastinoscopy (sp?)

So, what do you think of all this?

xoxo

Linda

PS- I was a good advocate today, I think, and asked for copies of all the reports, and he also printed me off an image from the CT showing the tumor.

I'm glad to have the paperwork, it makes me feel better somehow. Makes me more able to ask questions, and learn all the big words/terms.

Linda

[fillise]

Linda, It sounds like you were a great advocate for your mom today. It's great that what he got is negative, but with the new procedure you will hopefully know for sure.

Susan

[SandraL]

Hi Linda. I think it must be SO frustrating in getting to the bottom of this. I had a bronch but don't think it was the wang needle type. And I have had the media thing as well...(Dr. Dewar in Victoria did that as well as the thorascopy thing.) I would keep pushing on dates. Too bad you you just can't get them down asap and move on. My thoughts continue to be with you and your mom