Numero Uno Scan post Operative.

sblairc said:

It seems sometimes the patient has to be extra on top of things.

It was left up to my husband to set up his first set of post op scans. After his consult with an onc, they gave him a number to call. I wouldn't ever leave it up the the doctors to make sure you are followed up.  I have learned, in this short amount of time, that it's important to advocate for yourself and keep track of everything, get copies of test and ask lots of questions because sometimes doctors are wrong and mistakes can happen. One example: if we hadn't gotten an oncology consultation after the neph,  my husband would have only gone for a scan at 1 year which turned out to be incorrect.  Luckily, we got a consult with an oncologist and now he's going in April for 6 month scans. 

Yep. Jack you are. If there is one good lesson to learn from reading this forum, it is to be your own advocate. Good catch.

Skagway Jack said:

Own best advocate!

Fox,  Yep I know we have to be our own best advocate, and that is why I called to verify things and push for the testing.  I just find it a little disappointing that they were not more on the ball about it at the cancer center.  I look forward to my first offical NED.  I will continue to assume they are not tracking for future test as well. 

 

you sound like my husband expecting a call to set up scans and follow-up. Not even about best advocate but unless the oncologists have no other patients, how did you guys think the appointments happen?

don't mean to give you a hard time, Jack

Sarah

Jojo61 said:

I would have expected the

I would have expected the same thing. They should be on top of that. But it definitely is one more example of how we need to question things and act on them. Beause of your post I am going to call my oncologst and inquire about blood work and chest xray. I was given a scan appointment and follow up appointment, but no bloodwork or xray requisition.

Good luck with yours!

Jojo

joJo, bloodwork needs to be done before any scans since the creatinine level will determine whether contrast can be used.

My husband's chart after November said "scans and follow up appointment in 3 months, May 25, 2014". 

So, it was up to us to set up an appointment and they asked if we wanted to set up scans (which would be choosing specific date) or have them schedule.

This is a large university department so maybe smaller, private practice is different.

Bottom line: we need the information for our lives.

Sarah

Skagway Jack said:

So what do you make of this? A hat, a broach, a pterodactyl?

Ok, so I went to the Oncologist this morning.  The good news first....Chest CT  NED.  The abdominal CT howver was not so definitive.  To quote "8mm low attenuation lesion in the posterior cortex of the lower pole of the left kidney, not visualized on previous study. No evidence for recurrent mass in right renal bed. A loop of small bowel agruably descending the duodenum apperars to be adhesed into the postoperative the right renal bed, an area which was not adequately studied on the comparison CT scan of the chest."

The Doc says no need to worry, but he bumped up my scan to three months versus 6 months.  He also asked when I was scheduled to see my urologist again and was pleased when I said that appointment was next month.  with regard to the above discussion about scheduling of the scans etc....this time they scheduled the whole package in one swoop with me prior to leaving the office.

So I have CT's from prior to my surgery and they should be able to look at the left kidney to see if there were lesions on the previous scans, but this office had only done a chest CT previously which just caught the top of the kidney.  I dont recall this having been noted on my previous scans from the urologist.  Impression from the radiologist "8mm low attenuation lesion anterior aspect interpolar left renal cortex. Lesion is indeterminate."  This is not the NED I was looking for, but it may be no biggie.

8mm is really tiny (0.3 inches), likely too small for them to even hazard a guess. Moving the next scan up just means lets watch it and if there are any changes work on a better diagnosis then. From what I understand small anomalies in our kidneys are pretty common and nothing to worry about unless they grow. Just keep an eye on it.