Thursday, April 30, 2015

Week 37 CT scan results

If I was superstitious, I would say I jinxed it.  I did all that bragging about how much energy I had and how clean I made my garage, and then poof! It happened.  All gone in a flash. One phone call puts me right back in the dumps--down goes roller coaster! The anxiety I feel anticipating CT scan results is well-deserved: it sucks!! 

Got some disappointing news yesterday: I have to have more lymph node biopsies.  I have mentioned before how I loathe needle biopsy of a lymph node. Painful. Invasive.  I have had two before, and I was seriously hoping to avoid going through it again.  

Last week when I visited my family doc to update her on my news from Toronto and treatment etc, I promised her that I wouldn't freak out about the CT reports like I did in February when I saw the reports after my January scans.  That scan showed some enlarged nodes in my neck, and I recall being vaguely puzzled about that as I was under the impression that I didn't have any lymph nodes left IN my neck!? 

After phone calling and emailing my panic to several of my medical professionals, I was assured that the nodes were enlarged likely due to the thyroid surgery I had just had at the beginning of December, not even a full two months before the scan.  The nodes were at still an acceptable level of enlarged-ness (?) so we should not worry.  Technically, it was a clear scan, my first one without bad news on it.  

Good thing I didn't get too used to that feeling, as the nodes are further enlarged now, and we are almost five months post-surgery.  My family doctor said she spoke with my endocrinologist yesterday morning, and they are going to speak with the head and neck surgeon to arrange a CT/ultrasound guided biopsy of the enlarged nodes on either side of my neck.  BOTH sides AGH!  :-( And I can't even be put under for the procedure, I can load up on sedatives, but I must remain awake. 

http://sunnybrook.ca/glossary/item.asp?i=163&p=60&page=22497

They are still thinking that these lymph nodes are "reactionary" - I think that is the word she used? - to surgery and adjusting to altered lymph fluid flow, but they need to do a fine-needle aspiration biopsy to "make sure."  It could be thyroid-cancer related, or a lesser possibility, melanoma-related.  

Quite unlikely that the melanoma "skipped" up to the neck, without metastasizing to organ(s) in between.  Abdominal scan shows no evidence of disease, that got the all-clear again this time, which is good.  

Now I am just waiting for the call to go for the biopsies, will update upcoming appointments ASAP.

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Update:       OUCH   .   BOO  .    WAAAAHHHHHH

I'm not alone:

Breaking bad news – the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy


 Obviously you share my pain, A Melanome Journey  xoxo

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