Good News, possibly bad news

abita
abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Well, this post was lost by the site outage. I got my results. The good news is my liver is NED. The possibly bad news is that a lung nodule that has been on every scan at .4 mm I received since I was diagnosed was .8 mm on this recent scan. Now, my oncologist consulted with a few radiologists, one of whom is a lung expert, believe this is not cancer. He told me numerous reasons. I won't list them. They didn't understand why I was focusing on it rather than rejoicing over the news that my liver mets are gone. There isn't even dead cells there. My liver has even regenerated to fill in the area where the tumor was. But honestly, after that sucker punch of the recurrence, I can't be happy until I get the results of the pet scan.

okay, some of the reasons, obviously looking at the nodule.

It is extremely rare that if it were cancer it would have grown while I was on a chemo that was killing the liver mets. I mean, it could be a different type of cancer from colon cancer, but really, it has been there since I started getting scans, so I find that unlikely. I concede that one day I may get a different type of cancer, but I don't think that it the case now. 

There was an indication of inflammation, which cancer doesn't cause, but nodules from cold or whatever would have

My tumor markers have not gone up

My pet scan is tomorrow. I won't get the results until I go in for my 2nd mop up chemo Feb 12th. Oh, even thugh NED on liver, my oncologist feels two months of chemo gives the best chance for no recurrence, you know, if that lung nodule isn't, you know.

 

 

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Comments

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #2
    Good luck

    Good luck on the upcoming scan.  Let us know how it comes out.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #3
    SandiaBuddy said:

    Good luck

    Good luck on the upcoming scan.  Let us know how it comes out.

    Thanks! I will

    Thanks! I will

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #4
    Happy news, for the most part

    So glad that the liver is clear.  That is happy news indeed. 

    I know what you mean about not being able to celebrate until you get the thumbs up that the lung nodule is'nt Cancer. When you hear that, we will all celebrate with you. 

    I'll get my Happy Man all geared up for posting, when you share the good news. 

    tru

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    #5
    I understand

    I think cancer makes prople question everything ten times more than before.  I would be worried too, but that just means you will be that much more relieved when it’s nothing!! Good luck tomorrow!

  • mojogirl67
    mojogirl67 Member Posts: 306 Member
    #6
    Wishing Good News All The Way Around...

    I will be sending up prayers for good news on your results. I'm happy that the liver is NED..wonderful news to hear. My turn to say "keep your head up"....thinking of you and sending good energy your way..Big Hug!...M

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #7
    Scan

    Wishing you the best out come for the scan.  Let's look at the good news of no cancer in the liver and believe that the lung is "no cancer" too.  I'd probably call before the 12th as I'd not be able to wait.  Stay strong.  You are being thought of.

    Kim

  • Diane_K
    Diane_K Member Posts: 84 Member
    #8
    The waiting is the worst.  So

    The waiting is the worst.  So glad your liver is NED!  I agree with Annabelle about calling before the 12th.  When I get scans I call my radiology office daily to see if the results are in.  They will give me a hard copy if I go in to pick it up.  I prefer to know the results before my doctor's appointment.

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #9
    Diane_K said:

    The waiting is the worst.  So

    The waiting is the worst.  So glad your liver is NED!  I agree with Annabelle about calling before the 12th.  When I get scans I call my radiology office daily to see if the results are in.  They will give me a hard copy if I go in to pick it up.  I prefer to know the results before my doctor's appointment.

    Wording of reports

    It is great to get information as quickly as possible, but I have found that the radiology reports are written for other doctors with no concern for the consumer, so each dot, spot and growth potentially freaks out the patient.  Having spent weeks of sleepless nights over a scan that turned out to be nothing, I have adopted a policy of waiting for meeting with the doctor to interpret it.  However, I see merit in each approach.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #10
    Diane_K said:

    The waiting is the worst.  So

    The waiting is the worst.  So glad your liver is NED!  I agree with Annabelle about calling before the 12th.  When I get scans I call my radiology office daily to see if the results are in.  They will give me a hard copy if I go in to pick it up.  I prefer to know the results before my doctor's appointment.

    Hello Diane_K

    And welcome to the forum.

    Tru

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,289 Member
    #11
    I let the doctors interpret

    I let the doctors interpret the data, I have things like nodes in my lungs, and if they're not worried about them enough to bring it to me, I'm not going to go looking for trouble. I'm happy your liver's clear and the lung node is not likely to be cancer, but I know the feeling when you can't get certainty about a thing. It's a good report Abita , hold to that thought, and treat yourself to something nice.............................................Dave

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    #12
    Lung mets

    Dear Abita... I had lung Mets. I can tell you that my doctors knew fairly quickly that it was cancer. I’m hoping since the doctors were so positive that yous are not. The waiting is the worst.

    sending good vibes that all is well. It is great news that the liver is clear!

    k

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    #13
    So how did it go?

    i hope you got good news yesterday!!!

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #14
    Ruthmomto4 said:

    So how did it go?

    i hope you got good news yesterday!!!

    It was kind of no news. There

    It was kind of no news. There are residual cells where the liver tumors were. No surprise, that is whay doing 4 more rounds of chemo. As for the lung nodules, there was uptick, but they still aren't ure if inflammation or cancer. But the really bad part was that my doctor was kind of a mean when giving me the news. ANd at one point I asked about something he had said, and he was no, i never said that. Patients don't remember what is said. I was so angry.Later at the end of the day, his practical nurse stopped by and she was encouraging and kind of made it clear that she really thinks it is inflammation and not cancer. I am thining if it is cancer, I might change doctors. Mine is mostly the kindest man, but when delivering bad news is so harsh and mean that I just can't deal with that.

     

     

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #15
    abita said:

    It was kind of no news. There

    It was kind of no news. There are residual cells where the liver tumors were. No surprise, that is whay doing 4 more rounds of chemo. As for the lung nodules, there was uptick, but they still aren't ure if inflammation or cancer. But the really bad part was that my doctor was kind of a mean when giving me the news. ANd at one point I asked about something he had said, and he was no, i never said that. Patients don't remember what is said. I was so angry.Later at the end of the day, his practical nurse stopped by and she was encouraging and kind of made it clear that she really thinks it is inflammation and not cancer. I am thining if it is cancer, I might change doctors. Mine is mostly the kindest man, but when delivering bad news is so harsh and mean that I just can't deal with that.

     

     

    Ugh

    Ugh, sorry the interaction with the doctor was difficult.  It seems like often the nurses are the translators and sometimes give better information.  It was a nurse that helped me to switch from an oncologist who was a jerk to one that is very human.  All-in-all the news sounds pretty good.  It will probably take a few days to process it all.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #16
    SandiaBuddy said:

    Ugh

    Ugh, sorry the interaction with the doctor was difficult.  It seems like often the nurses are the translators and sometimes give better information.  It was a nurse that helped me to switch from an oncologist who was a jerk to one that is very human.  All-in-all the news sounds pretty good.  It will probably take a few days to process it all.

    yeah, it is just that I won't

    yeah, it is just that I won't know and that sucks. I was always an inpatient person. But wiith cancer, no answers come fast, ugh

  • Butt
    Butt Member Posts: 352 Member
    #17

    They knew it were in the lungs because they had prior scans. So, when things showed up in the lungs they new it was cancer. Pretty straight forward.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited February 2019 #18
    Butt said:

    They knew it were in the lungs because they had prior scans. So, when things showed up in the lungs they new it was cancer. Pretty straight forward.

    not sure what you are

    not sure what you are referring to

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #19
    Butt said:

    They knew it were in the lungs because they had prior scans. So, when things showed up in the lungs they new it was cancer. Pretty straight forward.

    if you are referring to my

    if you are referring to my scans, you are wrong. Not actually sure what you are saying. But clearly if you are referring to my scans, you don't know how pet scans work.

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    #20
    abita said:

    It was kind of no news. There

    It was kind of no news. There are residual cells where the liver tumors were. No surprise, that is whay doing 4 more rounds of chemo. As for the lung nodules, there was uptick, but they still aren't ure if inflammation or cancer. But the really bad part was that my doctor was kind of a mean when giving me the news. ANd at one point I asked about something he had said, and he was no, i never said that. Patients don't remember what is said. I was so angry.Later at the end of the day, his practical nurse stopped by and she was encouraging and kind of made it clear that she really thinks it is inflammation and not cancer. I am thining if it is cancer, I might change doctors. Mine is mostly the kindest man, but when delivering bad news is so harsh and mean that I just can't deal with that.

     

     

    I am sorry

    i know oncologists can be very short sometimes, part of me thinks they protect themselves from feeling too much and that’s how it comes out. I doubt that makes you feel any better and I wish you had answers that were concrete. They are still so tiny it’s almost too early to know they are anything yet. I really am sorry!

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #21
    Ruthmomto4 said:

    I am sorry

    i know oncologists can be very short sometimes, part of me thinks they protect themselves from feeling too much and that’s how it comes out. I doubt that makes you feel any better and I wish you had answers that were concrete. They are still so tiny it’s almost too early to know they are anything yet. I really am sorry!

    I think you are right on both

    I think you are right on both points. I think he feels bad so gets tough, and yeah, too small to know yet. Like I think he said even too small to biopsy. It is like, am I going to be okay, or what. I am so allergic to everything that I totally believe the nodules are scarring from congestion or whatever. But....you never know til you know.

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