I started the day at 8:30 meeting with Kim at CBCC to have my port accessed and then I headed in to work for a couple of hours. The last thing I expected was to return to work after having a couple of days off only to leave again for a medical procedure but oh well, the procedure is being done at Truxtun Radiology which is only a few blocks away from work and last week the very same procedure only took a few minutes.
Funny how things happen … it turns out that Truxtun Radiology has four sites and after arriving at the site closest to my work and by the way the site where the test was performed last week, I find out that the test today is at the site which is the farthest away from work.
Funny how things happen … my appointment was for 11:50 and I was not called in for the test until 1:15. I cannot complain though because I was 15 minutes late due to my assumption of the location.
Funny how things happen … last week the radiology doctor removed the port access however, today the radiology doctor did not remove the access which meant I had to return to CBCC for the removal.
What should have taken approximately one hour, instead took two and half hours. It was very frustrating until I returned back to CBCC for the access removal and, funny how things happen … I saw my friend Donna who had been there since 8:00 am for the first of eighteen chemo treatments (3 days of chemo followed by three weeks off and repeated six times).
By the way, today’s test results were exactly the same as last week’s … the port is leaking.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Test Results - I've had worse
I've been staying with my three grand kids and two grand dogs since last Tuesday while the big kids are in Missouri for the wedding of one of my nephews. In addition, a friend from high school was visiting with us for several days; it was great catching up with Dee and she was a tremendous help around here.
As of this moment the kids are settled in their parents' bed watching a movie and the dogs are resting contentedly as well so it seemed a good time to begin and possibly even to finish this post.
From the title of this post you may have guessed that my test results were not what I was hoping for. The results were not necessarily bad but they were not great either. However, let me repeat myself, I have had worse results and so I am very thankful the results I did receive.
First of all, the PET scan indicated swollen lymph nodes on the left side of my chest. However, the CT scan which was performed the day following the PET scan did not pick up a problem and Dr. Patel did not find swollen nodes during the physical exam.
So, what does that mean? The first question Dr. Patel asked me is if I was feeling sick on the day of the PET scan - according to him possibly I was fighting off something. Forty-eight hours prior to the exam you are to refrain from lifting heavy things, exercising, or any strenuous activity. My forty-eight hours started on a Saturday - I remember focusing on the diet restrictions which began twenty-four hours prior to the test but I do not remember focusing on the physical activity. I usually clean house and shop for groceries on Saturdays so hopefully that is what caused the swollen lymph nodes.
Nothing else caused worry on either of the two exams so I can reason away the swollen lymph nodes however, the blood tests indicate that my tumor markers are up. According to Dr. Patel the threshold he has set is very low and I should not worry - it is just something for him to watch. Hm mm, I really prefer the appointments where he walks in smiling and pronounces me the picture of health.
Here is a little blurb from breastcancer.org concerning tumor marker tests:
But these cancer markers, unlike the more reliable "PSA" test for prostate cancer, have limitations. For example, a marker test that registers normal does not prove that you are cancer-free, nor does an elevated test prove that you have progression or recurrence of cancer.
The PET scan and tumor marker results mean that I will continue to have the monthly blood test to check the tumor markers and every three months the PET and CT scans will be repeated. I try not to think of all the radiation my body is receiving from the scans ...
I'm not sure if I mentioned on a previous post that during the port flush in June I experienced a burning sensation. Last Tuesday I told the nurse about the experience before she began to draw blood through the port; she was a little concerned so instead of first drawing blood she tried a small port flush. The burning was sharp and immediate, this time there was no doubt that something was wrong with the port.
Following the exam with Dr. Patel I was sent to Truxtun Radiology for a dye test to see if the port was leaking. The first problem found was that the line from the port was kinked and the port had to be "manipulated" in order to straighten the line as much as possible. It was both interesting and eerie to watch this on the screen. According to Dr. Williams who performed the dye test, the line from the port was too long for me and there was too much movement in the line which allowed it to twist and kink. Once he moved the kink out the iodine was injected into the port and an immediate "stain" appeared - a black ink spot surrounding the line. Yep, the line has a hole in it.
Tuesday the 15th I will return to CBCC to have the port accessed and also return later that morning to Truxtun Radiology for another dye test. Evidently the additional test will determine if the port also needs repair. At some point I will be referred to a surgeon - at this point it seems as though Dr. Patel would like for me to keep the port and the only decision is if the port can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced. I should know more later this week.
My job right now is to focus on the positive ... nothing has changed and that is a good thing.
As of this moment the kids are settled in their parents' bed watching a movie and the dogs are resting contentedly as well so it seemed a good time to begin and possibly even to finish this post.
From the title of this post you may have guessed that my test results were not what I was hoping for. The results were not necessarily bad but they were not great either. However, let me repeat myself, I have had worse results and so I am very thankful the results I did receive.
First of all, the PET scan indicated swollen lymph nodes on the left side of my chest. However, the CT scan which was performed the day following the PET scan did not pick up a problem and Dr. Patel did not find swollen nodes during the physical exam.
So, what does that mean? The first question Dr. Patel asked me is if I was feeling sick on the day of the PET scan - according to him possibly I was fighting off something. Forty-eight hours prior to the exam you are to refrain from lifting heavy things, exercising, or any strenuous activity. My forty-eight hours started on a Saturday - I remember focusing on the diet restrictions which began twenty-four hours prior to the test but I do not remember focusing on the physical activity. I usually clean house and shop for groceries on Saturdays so hopefully that is what caused the swollen lymph nodes.
Nothing else caused worry on either of the two exams so I can reason away the swollen lymph nodes however, the blood tests indicate that my tumor markers are up. According to Dr. Patel the threshold he has set is very low and I should not worry - it is just something for him to watch. Hm mm, I really prefer the appointments where he walks in smiling and pronounces me the picture of health.
Here is a little blurb from breastcancer.org concerning tumor marker tests:
But these cancer markers, unlike the more reliable "PSA" test for prostate cancer, have limitations. For example, a marker test that registers normal does not prove that you are cancer-free, nor does an elevated test prove that you have progression or recurrence of cancer.
The PET scan and tumor marker results mean that I will continue to have the monthly blood test to check the tumor markers and every three months the PET and CT scans will be repeated. I try not to think of all the radiation my body is receiving from the scans ...
I'm not sure if I mentioned on a previous post that during the port flush in June I experienced a burning sensation. Last Tuesday I told the nurse about the experience before she began to draw blood through the port; she was a little concerned so instead of first drawing blood she tried a small port flush. The burning was sharp and immediate, this time there was no doubt that something was wrong with the port.
Following the exam with Dr. Patel I was sent to Truxtun Radiology for a dye test to see if the port was leaking. The first problem found was that the line from the port was kinked and the port had to be "manipulated" in order to straighten the line as much as possible. It was both interesting and eerie to watch this on the screen. According to Dr. Williams who performed the dye test, the line from the port was too long for me and there was too much movement in the line which allowed it to twist and kink. Once he moved the kink out the iodine was injected into the port and an immediate "stain" appeared - a black ink spot surrounding the line. Yep, the line has a hole in it.
Tuesday the 15th I will return to CBCC to have the port accessed and also return later that morning to Truxtun Radiology for another dye test. Evidently the additional test will determine if the port also needs repair. At some point I will be referred to a surgeon - at this point it seems as though Dr. Patel would like for me to keep the port and the only decision is if the port can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced. I should know more later this week.
My job right now is to focus on the positive ... nothing has changed and that is a good thing.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
It's Not About Me, But Rather My Friend Donna
If you have followed this blog from the beginning and have read the posted comments you will recognize Donna as one of my cheerleaders. I met Donna shortly after I was diagnosed with breast cancer - her friend Jim was one of my business associates and he linked the two of us together because Donna is a survivor of breast cancer.
Donna cheered me on through treatment and provided valuable information that helped me through that time of my life. Over the past couple of years our relationship has grown into a friendship because we have other things in common such as our love for God and our families.
Recently Donna had a check up and as a result of some findings she also had a lung biopsy. Today she received the biopsy results - the good news is that the breast cancer has not come back however, the bad news is that she has developed lung cancer. This is a brand new cancer - it is not breast cancer that has metastisized to the lungs.
Donna will soon begin a six-month course of chemo - three days of chemo followed by twenty-seven days off. If needed radiation will be added to her treatment plan.
It is my turn to be Donna's cheerleader - I hope and pray that I will be as effective and valuable for Donna as she was for me. I know that her faith in God will sustain her and that her peace will be because she knows He is her number one provider and cheerleader.
I look forward to reporting to you in six months that Donna is also a SURVIVOR of lung cancer - two for two! In the meantime, please keep Donna and her family in your prayers - in addition to two adult children, she and her husband have two younger children and I know that your prayers will mean a lot to the entire family.
Donna cheered me on through treatment and provided valuable information that helped me through that time of my life. Over the past couple of years our relationship has grown into a friendship because we have other things in common such as our love for God and our families.
Recently Donna had a check up and as a result of some findings she also had a lung biopsy. Today she received the biopsy results - the good news is that the breast cancer has not come back however, the bad news is that she has developed lung cancer. This is a brand new cancer - it is not breast cancer that has metastisized to the lungs.
Donna will soon begin a six-month course of chemo - three days of chemo followed by twenty-seven days off. If needed radiation will be added to her treatment plan.
It is my turn to be Donna's cheerleader - I hope and pray that I will be as effective and valuable for Donna as she was for me. I know that her faith in God will sustain her and that her peace will be because she knows He is her number one provider and cheerleader.
I look forward to reporting to you in six months that Donna is also a SURVIVOR of lung cancer - two for two! In the meantime, please keep Donna and her family in your prayers - in addition to two adult children, she and her husband have two younger children and I know that your prayers will mean a lot to the entire family.
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave a footstep in your heart. - Eleanor Roosevelt
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