Good new, but so confused by information.

arwoody02

Evening Ladies!!

I finally got my MRI results (MRI was done on 4/5). The doctor did not call me back but his main nurse called and told me that the cancer did not spread. That is good!!

But I am confused by some things I have read. So they can tell that it did not spread but I won't know the stage or anything till after surgery? Should they have told me the grade and stage of the cancer from the MRI? When I first met with the GYN-ONC, he could not answer those questions because he was not the one who did my surgery.

He currently has me taking Megestrol 2 times a day. Since I have started this medication, I have cramping everyday. It is not as bad as it was before (surgery) but it is getting a little annoying but I can by-pass it without taking anything and I am fine. I do not see my gyn-onc until the end of May. But next week I am going to another specialist because I am/was severely anemic. The gyn-onc wants me to get my levels up so I will not have to have a blood transfusion when I have the hysterectomy.

So is that they will be able to tell if it spread after I have the hysterectomy?

Sorry I am confused by all the information that I have read, and the information that I am getting from the gyn-onc. I do know one thing for sure, I will have my questions that I had before I meet him and additional questions that I have now.

norma2

Making sense of it all
I found the same kind of confusion when I was first confronted with having cancer. I run a business. My decisions are based on fact and experience. With the cancer diagnosis I was thrust into a world where I did not know the rules or guidelines. And there was no one to explain them. I just went with the flow, which was difficult since I am used to being the one making the decisions.

Here is what I have figured out so far. Staging is usually done when you have surgery. It is decided by how much, what kind, and where the cancer is located when the all the information from surgery is put together. From that staging a protocol is established which will effectively fight the cancer and it's spread. The protocol may involve radiation, chemo treatment, etc. Even with a protocol the individual patient's needs and best interests are taken into consideration when deciding on a treatment plan that will give the best chance for eradicating the cancer.

So ask questions. Write them down ahead of time if necessary since most of the time with the doctor is limited. Take a tape player or family member or friend with you so they can help remember what the doc said. Dont' hesitate to call back and ask more questions if necessary. I found that the unknown and the fear of it where some of the worst hurdles in the cancer journey. If you cruise the internet looking for answers don't be freaked out by what you find. There is a lot of negative out there. Remember you are an individual and your cancer is different from everyone else's. You are not a number.

Summons up your best fighting spirit, my dear. You can win this battle. I hope this helped a little. I am rooting for you.

TiggersDoBounce

Arwoody
Staging and grading is done through Pathology; i.e., tissue sammpling, tumor removal, etc. where scans assist with viewing of abnormal structures and size determination...just my ameteurish observation of things...

The Megace (Megrestol) helps with controlling bleeding, so if that was one of your issues, that will help reduce or stop that.

Hang in!

Laurie

lindaprocopio

TiggersDoBounce said:

Arwoody
Staging and grading is done through Pathology; i.e., tissue sammpling, tumor removal, etc. where scans assist with viewing of abnormal structures and size determination...just my ameteurish observation of things...

The Megace (Megrestol) helps with controlling bleeding, so if that was one of your issues, that will help reduce or stop that.

Hang in!

Laurie

more on Megace (Megresol)
Megace has been suggested as a possibility for me, so I've been researching it. It doesn't KILL cancer, but it does attach to estrogen-receptor-positive (ERP) and progesterone-receptor-positive (PRP) cancer cells, preventing the cancer from getting the hormones that they love and use to grow. So Megace can prevent your cancer from growing if your cells are ERP or PRP. Yours must be hormone-receptive if Megace is working to hold your cancer in check until your surgery! GOOD! Usually lower-grade cancers are hormone receptive, so take some comfort in that. But you won't know for SURE if your cancer is positive for either of these hormone-related factors until they can get in there and have a tissue sample to put under a microscope and do tests on.

The same is true with staging and grading your cancer. They need tissue to do that, and that means surgery. They are being very proactive to give you the Megace to hold your cancer back until they can get you in the operating room. Sounds like you are in good hands.

jazzy1

lindaprocopio said:

more on Megace (Megresol)
Megace has been suggested as a possibility for me, so I've been researching it. It doesn't KILL cancer, but it does attach to estrogen-receptor-positive (ERP) and progesterone-receptor-positive (PRP) cancer cells, preventing the cancer from getting the hormones that they love and use to grow. So Megace can prevent your cancer from growing if your cells are ERP or PRP. Yours must be hormone-receptive if Megace is working to hold your cancer in check until your surgery! GOOD! Usually lower-grade cancers are hormone receptive, so take some comfort in that. But you won't know for SURE if your cancer is positive for either of these hormone-related factors until they can get in there and have a tissue sample to put under a microscope and do tests on.

The same is true with staging and grading your cancer. They need tissue to do that, and that means surgery. They are being very proactive to give you the Megace to hold your cancer back until they can get you in the operating room. Sounds like you are in good hands.

Unknown?
The word "cancer" is just so stressful to hear and then thrown into an unknown environement. I agree with many here, ask lots of questions -- write them down -- bring to the doctor appts. You'll find now you'll remember them, and when face to face with your doc your mind has gone blank. Some people bring recorders during the appt. Hum?

Staging and grade are done after the surgery. I had hysterectomy and knew I had cancer in uterus, but didn't know if it had spread outside the uterine wall. It did and was in 1 lymph node so it was 3C. Now if it didn't spread I'm thinking it was a 3a?? I don't get into all the stages as I just worry about getting this cancer away. If you search on web you'll find a listing of the stages

Best of luck!
Jan

arwoody02

jazzy1 said:

Unknown?
The word "cancer" is just so stressful to hear and then thrown into an unknown environement. I agree with many here, ask lots of questions -- write them down -- bring to the doctor appts. You'll find now you'll remember them, and when face to face with your doc your mind has gone blank. Some people bring recorders during the appt. Hum?

Staging and grade are done after the surgery. I had hysterectomy and knew I had cancer in uterus, but didn't know if it had spread outside the uterine wall. It did and was in 1 lymph node so it was 3C. Now if it didn't spread I'm thinking it was a 3a?? I don't get into all the stages as I just worry about getting this cancer away. If you search on web you'll find a listing of the stages

Best of luck!
Jan

Going into the unknown
I am a person I internalize a lot of things but I like to have facts that I can follow. The facts for this are all unknown. Again when I went to the oncologist I had a list of questions and my mother with me to write down the answers. At the time he could not respond to any of the questions. But I guess that is because he was not the one that diagnosed anything. I understand I have to have some patience but my whole life has changed from March 25th. I don't like going into the unknown and that is what this is... the unknown.

Guess I will get answers at the end of May.

Thank you ladies for responses, it puts my nerves and fears to the side if only for a moment.