Scan Update

ittapp

Well, what a day!! I go in for scan results and chemo and end up in hospital having fluid drained from the base of right lung ( between the lung and liver) pleura area I think. The scan report read that my tumors looked larger and I had fluid. Onc. did not know why the tumors looked larger, wanted the IR to look at it since I had the sir spheres. The fluid could be from cancer in new location or inflammation or infection. I have not ran a fever and the fluid was clear not bloody or murky, looked like urine to me. The took out 2 litres of fluid. It has been so painful, can't take a deep breath without feeling a stabbing feeling in my back. I am just so confused and scared at this point. I knew I was having pain for a reason just would not have imagined fluid and LARGER tumors after all I have been through.Has anyone had experience with fluid in this area? Patti

Sundanceh

Patti
Hi Patti

Wow! 2 liters is alot of fluid, as much as a soda bottle - good grief, know wonder you were hurin' so badly. Glad they could at least relieve your pain.

My lung tumors were in the pleura, and that is a tough place to be, 'cause there is not a lot of room in between the linging and the lung itself. I still can't take a deep breath even 5 months out of surgery. I'm doing better, but still short on breath sometimes.

They have not had to drain any fluid and I do have pain in that area and have since before the surgery. I'm sure as many X-rays as I did, if there were fluid, it would have been seen.

I digress...I think it's a good idea for the interventional radiologist to look at the scans as well - I don't know anything about Sir Spheres to comment on what is right or not. I'm relying on you and Christy to tell me and teach me, LOL

I've missed you - think of you - and hope that things will ease up for you - not sure if I can say anything anymore that can make a difference, but just know that I am still with you and will support you however I can.

I'm so glad to here from you!

-Craig

ittapp

Sundanceh said:

Patti
Hi Patti

Wow! 2 liters is alot of fluid, as much as a soda bottle - good grief, know wonder you were hurin' so badly. Glad they could at least relieve your pain.

My lung tumors were in the pleura, and that is a tough place to be, 'cause there is not a lot of room in between the linging and the lung itself. I still can't take a deep breath even 5 months out of surgery. I'm doing better, but still short on breath sometimes.

They have not had to drain any fluid and I do have pain in that area and have since before the surgery. I'm sure as many X-rays as I did, if there were fluid, it would have been seen.

I digress...I think it's a good idea for the interventional radiologist to look at the scans as well - I don't know anything about Sir Spheres to comment on what is right or not. I'm relying on you and Christy to tell me and teach me, LOL

I've missed you - think of you - and hope that things will ease up for you - not sure if I can say anything anymore that can make a difference, but just know that I am still with you and will support you however I can.

I'm so glad to here from you!

-Craig

Thanks Craig, I was thinking
Thanks Craig, I was thinking that was where your tumor was in the pleural area. I am sure hoping and praying it's not a new location. Patti

Sonia32

Patti
Hugs I know my mum had fluid in her lungs and they would drain it all the time, I would look at it come out from her in bag it was so strange. They did a talcin powder treatment, but it only worked for a short term. Hopefully your fluid will not return, you are in my thoughts and prayers as always. Sonia

sfmarie

Don't know about lungs
But my sister has had severe back pain lately. They ended up putting stents in her kidneys and liver since they were blocked with tumors. She still has back pain, so I pray it is not the lungs! I have been thinking of you Patti. I do hope the pain eases very soon and the SIR Spheres works their magic.

mom_2_3

Patti
Patti,

I have no experience with the pain or fluid that you have described. I am glad that they were able to remove the fluid and hopefully you will get some relief from the pain. I am not positive but I thought that I have read that tumors will look a bit larger after SirSpheres procedure and that they will then start to shrink. When I was in the hospital for my surgery my room-mate had just had a second SS procedure done and that's what she told me.

I am sending you thoughts of love and healing...

Amy

dianetavegia

Jill posted about this
Glad you're feeling better but prayi8ng they can figure this out and fix you up!

Jill posted something about fluid build up on the Modified Citrus Pectin thread. Please read that!

Diane

geotina

Hi Patti
I went back and looked. I think you know CindyZ on the Colon Club, her husband, Stephen, had SirSpheres right before you did. Anyway, she posted on 3/17 about Stephen's scan results. Don't know if you saw it but his CT showed enlargement. Their doctor felt that the enlargement was due to the radio beads working and not progression of disease. If you have a minute you can read her entire post on the Colon Club on 3/17. You can send her a pm and compare notes. Cindy has only posted here 1 or 2 times and I can't remember her sign in name. Take care - Tina

Cindyz

geotina said:

Hi Patti
I went back and looked. I think you know CindyZ on the Colon Club, her husband, Stephen, had SirSpheres right before you did. Anyway, she posted on 3/17 about Stephen's scan results. Don't know if you saw it but his CT showed enlargement. Their doctor felt that the enlargement was due to the radio beads working and not progression of disease. If you have a minute you can read her entire post on the Colon Club on 3/17. You can send her a pm and compare notes. Cindy has only posted here 1 or 2 times and I can't remember her sign in name. Take care - Tina

Sir Spheres CT scan
Hi,
I don't post here often but came here looking for the exact same thing: info on Sir Spheres. I couldn't remember the person who had it (Patti) and I wanted to see how she was doing.
Patti, Geotina is right. Stephen's CT scan showed enlargement of his tumors in his liver and a few more lung nodules. I was very concerned, but his oncologist wasn't. The reasoning is that the first CT after Sir Spheres can show that the tumors have grown, when in actuality it's just the tumors swelling up from the radiation. Stephen's report said that the tumors had "coalesced" and showed progression from the last CT scan, but for the first time the oncologist disagreed with the scan and said that we needed to wait until the next scan to be sure. Our IR told us that a PET scan is much better when it comes to showing whether or not Sir Spheres worked, and that will be Stephen's next scan (we have to alternate CTs and PETs due to insurance). Also, I'm not sure if you were told this, but most people don't see results from the SS until 3-6 months out, and even then they can keep improving up to over a year. Don't lose hope Patti.
How does your liver feel when you press on it? Can you feel a difference in the swelling? Also...what is your CEA? We were told to really keep a watch on the CEA because that's the first indication that the SS is working (even before scans start to show anything). Stephen's did decrease from around 130 to 80 (I think, can't remember exactly). That was the first time that his CEA has ever decreased since he was dx (when he was dx, it was at 8).

I check the colon club a lot more than I do here, but I would love to talk to you privately if you want to. Not sure how to do that here....I've already forgotten!