first ct scan six months post treatment

maggie_wilson

dear sisters:

just got my first ct scan with contrast post treatment, and given what horrors i had imagined and how i had been preparing for the worst, it could have been, in fact, a lot worse! i have one slightly enlarged node, which we are keeping an eye on. all else was "perfect." my chemo doctor and i agreed to watch and see for 3 months, and then another ct scan and probably pet scan at that point (my insurance had refused to pay for a pet scan this time around).

i'm going to see my surgeon next week, gyn-onc, who sees me every 3 months as well, and does a fairly complete physical, so i'll know more then. apparently he believes in assays, so it may be that we have a needle biopsy done, in case i do need more chemo.... in the meantime, i am doing everything i know how to do in terms of diet, exercise, acupuncture, etc. , which are changes i've made only in the last two weeks (not that my diet was so bad, only that it was the usual sugar, white flour, dairy, etc. and no exercise to speak of). so maybe, with these changes, i can stave off the node from growing, spreading, etc. i'm cautiously hopeful because it's only one detectable node (of course if there's anything detectable, it usually means there are other not-yet-detectable cancer cells lurking about), before any changes were made. so we'll see.

basically, i agree with those of you who say that moderation, balance, common sense are the keys, and that each of us has to individually determine what that means. ultimately, it's a crap shoot; we do this, we don't do that, and we hope for the best.

l'chaim,

sisterhood,
maggie

upsofloating

Maggie
Sorry to see you have
Maggie
Sorry to see you have something of note on scan so relatively soon. My first 'recurrence' indicated by abnormal CT/PET and rise in ca125 occurred as my original gyn-onc was leaving the clinic. Insurance issues prevented me from following him so I changed doctors. I was to begin chemo treatment, no biopsy suggested. By the time I saw new doc an updated ca125 was back to normal, then follow-up CT showed nodes resolving. Hmmm?? Then I had second indication a few months later, new node issue. A biopsy this time confirmed new issue as recurrence but after the first go-round I chose to hold off on treatment. Next CT scan was unchanged. By Jan, nearly a year after first 'recurrence,' I got nervous and opted to start chemo. Hopefully gyn-onc will recommend CT after next chemo cycle. I'm ready to try again for a break from chemo and and go for the 'Anti-cancer' approach for awhile. Recent ca125 notably lower than it was.

So Maggie, I also agree it really is a crap shoot, and I'm with you on the more holistic approach, and wait and see before jumping back into chemo treatment. Here's to your good health! Annie

maggie_wilson

upsofloating said:

Maggie
Sorry to see you have
Maggie
Sorry to see you have something of note on scan so relatively soon. My first 'recurrence' indicated by abnormal CT/PET and rise in ca125 occurred as my original gyn-onc was leaving the clinic. Insurance issues prevented me from following him so I changed doctors. I was to begin chemo treatment, no biopsy suggested. By the time I saw new doc an updated ca125 was back to normal, then follow-up CT showed nodes resolving. Hmmm?? Then I had second indication a few months later, new node issue. A biopsy this time confirmed new issue as recurrence but after the first go-round I chose to hold off on treatment. Next CT scan was unchanged. By Jan, nearly a year after first 'recurrence,' I got nervous and opted to start chemo. Hopefully gyn-onc will recommend CT after next chemo cycle. I'm ready to try again for a break from chemo and and go for the 'Anti-cancer' approach for awhile. Recent ca125 notably lower than it was.

So Maggie, I also agree it really is a crap shoot, and I'm with you on the more holistic approach, and wait and see before jumping back into chemo treatment. Here's to your good health! Annie

annie,

thanx for your response. how long after treatment was it that your ca 125 changed, and the node detected? sounds like it was longer than 6 months. odd, the back and forth of your "recurrence." how long after nodes detected, were they seen to have resolved? sounds like you left the node/s alone for a year after it was detected again, and the ct scan showed no changes. what made you decide to do chemo at that point? i hope you don't mind my asking all these questions. i'm glad i have the time now to take an alternative approach; i think that if nothing changes in 3 months, i.e., node hasn't grown, i might do what you did and hold off treatment for a year, or as long as i could with regular ct scans and no changes. no changes sounds like a good thing.

thanx again for responding, annie. i appreciate very much hearing from you and what you've been doing. hope you can take a break from that chemo! and thank you for your good wishes. sending them back to you as well.

sisterhood,
maggie