Flu shot + PET/CT scan = Needless Anxiety

Aortus
Aortus Member Posts: 967
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Just getting this story out there, in case anybody has this happen to them in the future.

My survivor friend from work, who was diagnosed 1 month after Moopy, is a TN like Moopy, and even has the same oncologist here in town as Moopy, was getting really freaked out last month because of a lump over her clavicle. My friend has never had any sort of a scan post treatment because of her crappy insurance (I have the same insurance, but am strongly tempted to get on Moopy's insurance, which rocks), so she was justifiably starting to freak.

Well, the lump was concerning enough to get her a PET/CT scan. Great. The scans showed that the lump was... arthritis. Congratulations are in order, right? Well, no. The scans also showed all sorts of "stuff" under the arm on the non-lumpectomy side. Then, after another set of scans, it looked like NED had shown up again. Nobody down here (yet another reason why Moopy has a whole set of oncs up the freeway in St. Louis) had a clue what was going on. All they knew is that they had to start chemo, and fast, just in case. Maybe radiation too. They were just about to put a new port in when somebody made a brilliant discovery and asked my friend if she'd had her flu shot recently.

Yes, my friend had gotten her flu shot. The week before her scans. Of course, she got the flu shot on her non-lumpectomy side. Which is why the PET/CT lit up like a Christmas tree. And then turned off again in time for the next round of scans. DUHHHH!

Please don't read too much into this post. Obviously, if you have anything concerning, report it to your oncologist at once. But please also know that some of the really scary weirdness that pops up from time can be explained by something as simple as "Had a flu shot lately?"

Comments

  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #2
    thanks Joe something to keep
    thanks Joe something to keep in mind! My husband says the simplest answer is usually the right one. Dont know if this is true but it has kept me out of panic mode a number of times. Actually, I take that back, I have been at htis game long enough to know that is true.
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #3
    I am, happily speechless.
    I am, happily speechless. Thanks for posting this Joe.
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #4
    chenheart said:

    I am, happily speechless.
    I am, happily speechless. Thanks for posting this Joe.

    Great post Joe! Actually, I
    Great post Joe! Actually, I didn't get my flu shot this year because I got the flu right after I got one last year. LOL I know, I still should, but, I just can't make myself go get it. My oncologist is not happy with me.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #5
    Noel said:

    Great post Joe! Actually, I
    Great post Joe! Actually, I didn't get my flu shot this year because I got the flu right after I got one last year. LOL I know, I still should, but, I just can't make myself go get it. My oncologist is not happy with me.

    Thanks Joe!
    Thanks Joe!
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #6
    You're right Joe and it's so
    You're right Joe and it's so easy to panic. I had about 3-5 boils that came up in my armpit last summer. My mastectomy side and I still have my axillary nodes. I thought for sure it was my nodes and I was done for....but then found out they were boils, which I've never had in my life, so I didn't know. I still wasn't sure if I was going to believe the doc when he told me they were just boils, haha, but I'm still here and they're gone so I guess I'm OK. Thanks for posting this!
    jan
  • cookie97
    cookie97 Member Posts: 200
    #7
    phoenixrising said:

    You're right Joe and it's so
    You're right Joe and it's so easy to panic. I had about 3-5 boils that came up in my armpit last summer. My mastectomy side and I still have my axillary nodes. I thought for sure it was my nodes and I was done for....but then found out they were boils, which I've never had in my life, so I didn't know. I still wasn't sure if I was going to believe the doc when he told me they were just boils, haha, but I'm still here and they're gone so I guess I'm OK. Thanks for posting this!
    jan

    Hmmm
    Food for thought, who would have thunk. Thanks for the info.
    Peace and Love,
    Edie
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #8
    phoenixrising said:

    You're right Joe and it's so
    You're right Joe and it's so easy to panic. I had about 3-5 boils that came up in my armpit last summer. My mastectomy side and I still have my axillary nodes. I thought for sure it was my nodes and I was done for....but then found out they were boils, which I've never had in my life, so I didn't know. I still wasn't sure if I was going to believe the doc when he told me they were just boils, haha, but I'm still here and they're gone so I guess I'm OK. Thanks for posting this!
    jan

    Thanks too Joe! Along with
    Thanks too Joe! Along with being diagnosed with bc, I think we just inherit the "panic". I don't think there is anyway to avoid it.

    Great information you posted, so, thanks again.


    Jan
  • Sunrae
    Sunrae Member Posts: 808
    #9
    survivorbc09 said:

    Thanks too Joe! Along with
    Thanks too Joe! Along with being diagnosed with bc, I think we just inherit the "panic". I don't think there is anyway to avoid it.

    Great information you posted, so, thanks again.


    Jan

    I panicked a few weeks ago
    I panicked a few weeks ago when I starting having pain in my upper back on the left side and wound up in ER twice. The pain was so bad and I thought it was either my heart or cancer showing up somewhere again. Now I had just finished chemo in Aug. and finished radiation the end of Oct. but I just knew somehow it was bad news. Well, it turned out to be shingles, which is bad news, but not as bad as I suspected. Sometimes we can't help but panic but its always good when we find out the news is not so bad. Still have the shingles pain, but not as bad. Been wanting to get the flu shot, but need to find out if it will cause another reaction. Thanks for your post on all this.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
    Sunrae said:

    I panicked a few weeks ago
    I panicked a few weeks ago when I starting having pain in my upper back on the left side and wound up in ER twice. The pain was so bad and I thought it was either my heart or cancer showing up somewhere again. Now I had just finished chemo in Aug. and finished radiation the end of Oct. but I just knew somehow it was bad news. Well, it turned out to be shingles, which is bad news, but not as bad as I suspected. Sometimes we can't help but panic but its always good when we find out the news is not so bad. Still have the shingles pain, but not as bad. Been wanting to get the flu shot, but need to find out if it will cause another reaction. Thanks for your post on all this.

    Thank you for posting this!
    Thank you for posting this! I never in my wildest dreams would have thought this could happen from a simple flu shot.

    Sue :)
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #11
    Ritzy said:

    Thank you for posting this!
    Thank you for posting this! I never in my wildest dreams would have thought this could happen from a simple flu shot.

    Sue :)

    Wow
    Never would have thought that a flu shot could cause that. Great information, thanks. Glad your friend is ok to. Tell moopy, we miss her.
    Kathy
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #12
    Kat11 said:

    Wow
    Never would have thought that a flu shot could cause that. Great information, thanks. Glad your friend is ok to. Tell moopy, we miss her.
    Kathy

    Wow, from a flu shot. Who
    Wow, from a flu shot. Who would have thought it? Thanks for posting this!


    Leeza
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #13
    phoenixrising said:

    You're right Joe and it's so
    You're right Joe and it's so easy to panic. I had about 3-5 boils that came up in my armpit last summer. My mastectomy side and I still have my axillary nodes. I thought for sure it was my nodes and I was done for....but then found out they were boils, which I've never had in my life, so I didn't know. I still wasn't sure if I was going to believe the doc when he told me they were just boils, haha, but I'm still here and they're gone so I guess I'm OK. Thanks for posting this!
    jan

    I knew you were good for
    I knew you were good for something Joe! hehe Thanks for sharing this!


    Hugs, Lex
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #14
    Good gosh!
    So many twists & turns... Thankfully, the outcome OK.

    As an aside here - my own med onc forbids flu shots. Of any type. Even now, to this day, so many years after invasive treatment completed. (I asked - yet again - last season due to H1N1 concern. Answer: NO.) Reminder: we're all different, and should follow our own doctor's orders/recommendations.

    Kind regards, Susan
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #15
    Noel said:

    Great post Joe! Actually, I
    Great post Joe! Actually, I didn't get my flu shot this year because I got the flu right after I got one last year. LOL I know, I still should, but, I just can't make myself go get it. My oncologist is not happy with me.

    Bad me, I forgot to say HI
    Bad me, I forgot to say HI to Moopy! Oh, and hi Joe. LOL
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #16
    Christmas Girl said:

    Good gosh!
    So many twists & turns... Thankfully, the outcome OK.

    As an aside here - my own med onc forbids flu shots. Of any type. Even now, to this day, so many years after invasive treatment completed. (I asked - yet again - last season due to H1N1 concern. Answer: NO.) Reminder: we're all different, and should follow our own doctor's orders/recommendations.

    Kind regards, Susan

    I don't get the flu shot as
    I don't get the flu shot as my oncologist told me no! Glad everything worked out.


    Hugs, Angie

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