Cancer Diagnosis Experience PLEASE

[chera]

Hi Pharmacy Reviewer Friends,

I haven't posted on the forum in a little over a month before today. For awhile, I was hopsitaized once again with serious infection which manifested as a very rare case of serious facial cellulitis. (There was no bronchial/lung involvement whatsoever) Although I've been chronically fatigued for close to 6 months now, it compares nothing to how tired I've been while home recovering.
Anyways, my General Practitioner called me to come in for an appointment a couple weeks ago and seemed really concerned over some of the tests and blood work that were performed while I was in the hospital (chronically low red blood cell counts, low hemocrit, low platelet, low lymphocytes, and low mchc counts)

Also of concern was a CT w/contrast of the chest that actually was done by mistake (It was supposed to have been of my face and head/cellulitis site--which later the correct CT scan was given).

The chest CT was why I was called in, and it read as follows:
*Bullous Changes in the Lung apices with scarring in the lung apices as well.
*Small amount of bibasilar atelectasis
*Left Axillary Lymphadenopathy
*Mediastinal and Bilateral Hilar Lymphadenopathy
*Small amount of soft tissue in the anterior mediastinum
*There are degenerative changes

A seperate X-RAY of the chest taken just 2 weeks ago read:
*There is a nodular appearing opacity in the left mid lateral lung
No airspace opacities or pleural effusions.
There is mild dextroscolioss and degenerative changes.
(Oh yeah, A prior lung xray taken a little over a year ago was looked at in comparison that showed no such nodule)

I've been referred to very prominent medical center @ 5 hours from my home for further studies rather quickly.
At any rate, can anyone with experience please help me to understand what the significance of these findings could be????????

*If this is important, or if anyone else had similar experiences, please share them with me. Some of my other symptoms that have came on gradually include: Increasing Fatigue, Easily out of breath and tired, circulatory problems with a skin condition referred to as livedo reticularis, chronically enlarged lymph nodes wide-spread, No menstrual period in almost a year (I'm too young for menapause and not pregnant), cough with nosebleeds (recent), increasing level of pain sorta "all over", but especially in my upper back just below neck and some chest pain.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Binky]

@chera I'm sorry I don't have any answers for you, but I do want to say how very sorry I am that you are going thru this.Hang in there.
(((HUGS)))

[msaok]

You have a lot going on. So much, it will take a great diagnostician to sort out your various symptoms and determine if they are all from one primary problem. I don't traffic in false hope, so I mean it when I say I would take it as a positive that there has been no definitive cancer diagnosis (since you mentioned that disease specifically).
And I also wouldn't wave the white flag, if there eventually is one (unless your doctor gives you reason to) (and maybe not until after a second opinion)
Also, I can tell you for sure that the word "nodule" is used to describe things that might later turn out to be a blood clot, infectious abscess, scar tissue, benign mass, and yes sometimes a malignancy.
This is hard. I hope your appointment is soon so you can get to it (whatever it is) and start feeling better .
Til then, do you meditate?

[chera]

Sorry, I forgot to add another test that showed quite a bit of worsening when compared to another performed 3 years ago.

Echocardiogram w/Doppler 2009:

1. Normal left ventricle wall motion and left ventricle ejection fraction.
2. Normal size chambers.
3. Normal mitral valve apparatus. 1. No mitral regurgitation.
4. Normal aortic valve and root. 2. Mild aortic regurgitation.
5. No masses. 3. Trivial tricuspid regurgitation.
6. No periacardial effusion.

Echocardiogram w/Doppler 2012

1. Normal left ventricular ejection fraction.
2. Mild right ventricular dialation.
3. Pericardial effusion measuring 7mm in thickness.
4. Moderate Tricuspid Regurgitation with Mild Tricuspid Stenosis.
5. Moderare Pulmonic Regurgitation with Mild Pulmonic Stenoss.
6. Moderate Mitral Regurgitation.
7. Moderate Aortic Regurgitation with Mild Aortic Stenosis.

[H20shed65]

Hi@chera. You sound understandably very distressed. May I ask why you used the "C" word? Did your GP Tell you that they suspect cancer, or are you possibly assuming the worst? I ask because many patients assume the worst when the word nodule shows up in a radiology report. Understandable to say the least. Unless your physician specifically said they were concerned about potential cancer issues or refused to specifically rule it out when you asked if it could be cancer, it could be a great many things, most of which are not cancer. Please don't panic, because you don't have all the information yet and trying to get a diagnosis online is going to make you crazy and stressed out which I'm sure you don't need right now. It is common when sitting in a physicians office and receiving unexpected and shocking news to sort of check out at that moment and realize later that there were so many questions you wanted to ask but didn't. If this is the case, call your doctor and tell them your concerns and ask why they want you to have further testing done. A good physician will be frank with you and tell you what they are concerned about and why they have referred you elsewhere. I would love to tell you not to worry, but of course you will, anyone would. Just understand that the odds are in your favor and that it's rarely as bad as what I'm sure you're playing out in your head. I wish you well and hope that you get the answers you seek.

[djrick]

[HUGS] @chera ,

I'm sorry I don't have any advise off hand, I was childhood asthmatic and had chronic bronchitis in my 30's, I was exhausted all the time.

There are some really astute people participating here, I am sure you will get some helpful advise.

[chera]

You have a lot going on. So much, it will take a great diagnostician to sort out your various symptoms and determine if they are all from one primary problem. I don't traffic in false hope, so I mean it when I say I would take it as a positive that there has been no definitive cancer diagnosis (since you mentioned that disease specifically).
And I also wouldn't wave the white flag, if there eventually is one (unless your doctor gives you reason to) (and maybe not until after a second opinion)
Also, I can tell you for sure that the word "nodule" is used to describe things that might later turn out to be a blood clot, infectious abscess, scar tissue, benign mass, and yes sometimes a malignancy.
This is hard. I hope your appointment is soon so you can get to it (whatever it is) and start feeling better .
Til then, do you meditate?

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement....it really means alot and does make me feel a bit more hopeful.

I did leave out something my GP said is an area of concern....she did mention something about my other symptoms being associated with some sort of tumor involving the thyroid gland. Not on the thyroid gland itself, but produced by the thyroid gland and it releases hormones/chemicals that would cause very smilar symptoms. She did say that these do tend to "migrate" leaving fragments behind, particularly in other areas, especially as nodules in this portion of the lung.

(BTW I'm 37 years old)

She had me an appointment with an infectuous disease specialist 5 hours away within 2 days. I went, she did a consultation, blood work up and left with her telling me that she had a feeling she'd be referring me to a different kind of specialist. We scheduled a follow up appointment for May 31.
Yesterday I get a call from the infection specialist saying Ithat my blood work was non diagnostic; but I do need to come back down asap(next week) for another chest ct and a pulmonary function test (which I told her at the 1st appointment I'd had may times in the past since I have asthma).

Honestly, I've just never felt as badly as I have over this past year. It's liteally all I can do to just drag myself out of bed to a dr's appointment. Truly, I literally feel like and go nowhere in a year.
I know I'm on edge a bit since losing a cousin to cancer (she was only 49) They believed that it started in her lung,but it was so tiny it was disregarded and thought just to be due to a pneumonia she'd had in 2007. So, she wasn't diagnosed until it had reached the bones. In fact, she was diagnosed with bone cancer Nov 28, 2009 and was dead January 6 2010.

[smokinjoe]

@chera , i was diagnosed with stomach cancer in feb3,2012 I have a tumor in lower intestine. my brother in law is an older practicing surgeon, he warned me not to have it cut on. Fatigue for me is rampart. im good for only about an hour a day just doing upkeep around the house then im down . To night I inject a chemo drug into my stomach.my white blood cell count dropped and they have given me another drug to inject into the stomach [Neupogen]a booster for w cells. Last week oncologist told me my red blood count had dropped a little and with next blood test i may need a red blood cell booster also. Everything here is in bloom and i am sneezing a lot last few days a nose bleed showed up. Have you had anything cut on?I hope this helps Im not a cancer expert[maybe i am??] I also live about 85 miles from cancer center and have elected to inject myself....it is 9;29pm and i'm late in doing so by 29 minutes.it is hard core to impale myself, i dont have to like it i just have to do it. the low energy gave me the reason to have docs to find cause. shots tonight,sick in bed tomorrow ,sick in bed Sunday, up stumbling around mondays


Death looks all of us in the eye, all you can do is look back MARCUS ORILIUS CEASAR

[chera]

I just received an email a few minutes ago that suggested these findings sound like potentially serious pulmonary-cardio problems...........I hadn't thought of worrying about this
I suppose I got stuck on the nodule/thymic tissue possibilities, especially considering I just recently had a relative (who I dearly love and will always miss) pass away from cancer.
Perhaps my question should've been posted in the heart/lung section. I'm just so worried, and feel so bad, and so tired.......mostly just tired of being tired I guess.

*This post was auto-merged. The following text was added 18 minutes after the last post:*

@chera , i was diagnosed with stomach cancer in feb3,2012 I have a tumor in lower intestine. my brother in law is an older practicing surgeon, he warned me not to have it cut on. Fatigue for me is rampart. im good for only about an hour a day just doing upkeep around the house then im down . To night I inject a chemo drug into my stomach.my white blood cell count dropped and they have given me another drug to inject into the stomach [Neupogen]a booster for w cells. Last week oncologist told me my red blood count had dropped a little and with next blood test i may need a red blood cell booster also. Everything here is in bloom and i am sneezing a lot last few days a nose bleed showed up. Have you had anything cut on?I hope this helps Im not a cancer expert[maybe i am??] I also live about 85 miles from cancer center and have elected to inject myself....it is 9;29pm and i'm late in doing so by 29 minutes.it is hard core to impale myself, i dont have to like it i just have to do it. the low energy gave me the reason to have docs to find cause. shots tonight,sick in bed tomorrow ,sick in bed Sunday, up stumbling around mondays

Death looks all of us in the eye, all you can do is look back MARCUS ORILIUS CEASAR

OMG, I am so sorry to hear all you are having to go through on a daily basis.....I feel bad because my problems are nothing in comparison with everything your dealing with.
I'm glad to know you have a doc in the family. It's funny that you said he recommended NOT having anything cut on because I have heard the same thing from certain (but not many) physicians.....I believe he is right.
Another relative of mine was diagnosed with lupus and struggled with it @ 10 years before passing. I believe her death was caused whenever a surgeon convinced her to allow him to open up her stomach for exploration on a couple small tumors that had already been diagnosed as benign. Afterwards, the wound would never heal and she died within days of having the procedure. Currently, my grandmother has a stomach aneurysm that's reached 5. Her GP actally had her scheduled for surgery to remove it (she's 90 and he's an idiot) Met with the surgeon 2 days ago and he said the company wouldnt even sell her a stint to do the surgery with because she would never make it out alive.

As for me, when the infectous disease specialist called the other day, she also needed the biopsy results from some polyps I'd had removed (both sinus and esophageal in the past). Leave it to me to select a doctor who neglected to do biopsies....sounds ridiculous I know.

[msaok]

chera,
I also recently lost a loved one to cancer, so I get how traumatic it is to watch that and then think "could that happen to me ?".
But listen, you have a lot of abnormal finding on a lot of tests. They do not all scream cancer necessarily. Your cardiac dysfunction and anemia explains your extreme fatigue.
The question is why do you have them? You could have cardiomyopathy and there are subtypes of that, all with different treatments and prognoses. (just ONE of many examples)
It's not in your best interest to consider every possibility.
I would urge you to unplug from websites about illness until you know what to search. You will know soon enough and you will find fellow sufferers and support.
You need something to soothe your worried mind, to whatever extent that is possible, 'til then.

[UGAgal]

@chera you are in my thoughts. Please keep us posted and hang In there. Try not to think the worst until doc gives it to you.

@smokinjoe your in my thoughts too. I am sorry you are having to go through this. What stage and what outcome have they given you as far as fighting the tumor?

[smokinjoe]

@UGAgal , stage 2, but doctors are happy and giving me a 80% recovery rate.they have now included me in a medical trials program,it seems this type of cancer is rare in USA I have been told it is easily curable [i wish they would walk in my boots ] I have spent a lot of time out of country in military roles and as a military contractor,putting together armor packages for our troop transports vehicles. I came into contact daily with depleted uranium ammo. i have a idea where i picked it up. @chera this is for you the greatest thing you can do for your body is not worry, that in its way will kill you all by its self. I know this and try and be silly on PR, to laugh is good. I in my life have [what i think] been thru hell. My first wife died from MS and i never knew she had it.we were married for three weeks, She owned a bar that i stopped at each day after work. Monday she was there, Tuesday gone. give your self a good slap and put your boots on you have a hill to climb joe

[EBDude]

I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma 30 years ago. They did all kinds of tests, then operated and took the equal of a filet mignion and some lymph nodes out of the side of my chest.
The melanoma prognosis depends on how deep it is and just a tiny bit too deep changes the 5 year prognosis from 85% survival to 5-10%. Of the many doctors I saw only my surgeon thought the worse. Two years later she was dead from colon cancer and the devil has not yet taken me.
Two years later I had a lump in the area and went to have it taken out under a local. I was very worried. The doctor cut in and when I saw what it was I literally fainted and they caught me. I saw the lump looked like chicken fat and not dark and was so relieved.
Four years later, I had been in an experimental trail of an immune boosting factor extracted from blood. I got a letter saying maybe the AIDS virus was in the shot and get a test. That turned out OK.
So, it is hard to tell what is going to happen and the doctors despite trying hard don't always know. You may out live them yet.
Best wishes,

[4legsgood]

@smokingjoe, hang on, hang in and I pray those folks or 4legs straight up honest friends make you laugh, give you that courage that our unique perspectives give us...... And know that this strange community (pr) gives a crap and cares. Inspite of the s**** that we read about and experience , it is our right to rage on against the night. We'll all be there someday, best I think we can do is be stronger than those trials that my beset us.
Nothing is certain,from what I think you're saying but even the movie gladiator(Russel Crowe) said we may not chose time but we may choice somewhat the manne Of our passing.

Feel my wishes and strength I'm sending. I am no 'bible thumper' (memorable words from long ago) but my brother although distant said we would pleased to have (his ) God say
"well done, my good and faithful Servant."
And all this too shall pass.
@smokinjoe I wouldn't write this but I lost mt first husband, 2004' and even though blessed with a subsequent good marriage to a good man, I know intimately the despair and fear and pain and even the false alarms that be so much worse than definite diagnisoses,
.
Luv to u, from me and the 4legs snoring by my feet








These are worst possible thoughts just perhaps,but they have given me peace at most scariest times.






P

[smokinjoe]

@4legsgood , i have wondered about your online name,now I know.
I feel good about beating this and have hesitated to say anything about it.I am an man that for years have kept his own council.I served my country well,but under a President that gave away the panama canal[that china is now rebuilding] i have literally seen hell on earth.Seen things that no human should see. i suffer no post traumatic stress, I've just let my experience grow to wisdom[we all can use some of that cannot we] i stand corrected on my quote, im no bible thump-er for sure!! but the words comes from new testament of the bible

Death smiles on all men we can but smile back

related to me by marine chaplin m,pope just a man that kept my sole from being a hollow hulk.

[chell55]

I feel for all who are faced with the unknown. I have watched so many family members deal with cancer. I lost my mother when I was only 17 and my father a few years later.
Hang in there and reach out to the people that love you. We are here for you too regardless of the diagnosis.

[SpaceMatters]

@chell55 , what I do when I have test results I don't understand (besides make the doctor explain it to me) is research on reputable medical sites, like the Mayo Clinic sites.

In your case I would start w/the result sentences that don't start w/normal (or similar). Search on only the phrase you don't understand.

Research each line and write down what you believe that specific result to mean. Now you may not figure it all out but you will have a better idea of what the results are saying and better questions to ask your doc at your next visit.

I have done this b4 w/MRIs and found it helpful.

When's your next doc appt? What kind of specialist are you seeing? Did you say? Sometimes that tells us a lot right there.

Water

[chell55]

@chell55 , what I do when I have test results I don't understand (besides make the doctor explain it to me) is research on reputable medical sites, like the Mayo Clinic sites.

In your case I would start w/the result sentences that don't start w/normal (or similar). Search on only the phrase you don't understand.

Research each line and write down what you believe that specific result to mean. Now you may not figure it all out but you will have a better idea of what the results are saying and better questions to ask your doc at your next visit.

I have done this b4 w/MRIs and found it helpful.

When's your next doc appt? What kind of specialist are you seeing? Did you say? Sometimes that tells us a lot right there.

Water

Waterfall
I think you meant to address your post to chera. You are such a kind person and we are so blessed to have you here with us. I gain so much from reading your post.

[sbg]

Chera , I have not read all the posts , so forgive me if any of this is redundant or stuff you already know . I am not a physician but do hold a doctorate in a medical science and can tell you at least a little about the echo results . From what it states , there is not surprise that you are tired. It seems that based on those results you have problems with valve closure or something interferring with proper valve closure . This will result in blood that should be going out to the body , backflowing into the heart meaning that your heart is not meeting the metabolic demands of the body. This causes extreme tiredness. I am not saying that this is definitely the cause of your tiredness, but it certainly could be . The fact that the right ventricle is enlarged suggests the same . In any event , I would definitely want to know the cause of the cardiac changes and since it is effecting most valves, and is causing valvular stenosis ( this is a stiffening and results in the valves not being able to close fully) and has come on rather quickly, it suggests to me that the cause did not begin with the heart , but the changes to your cardiac function are a manifestation of something else. Additionally, the fact that the aorta is stenotic ( again stiffened) means that your heart must work harder to mobilize blood to the body. The aorta should expand easily when the heart contracts and pumps blood into it , when it cannot as is what happens during aortic stenosis, this causes the heart to have to generate more pressure to get the blood to move through the aorta and out to the body . Not sure any of this made sense , but I guess the bottom line is that if it were me , I would want to know what is going on to cause the changes to the valve and vessel structure , as it is these changes that is probably resulting in the valvular regurgitation and may very well be responsible for why you are so tired

[pucci]

I missed if you said if you had weight loss or night sweats? I would be more concerned about some type of lymphoma versus lung cancer. It sounds as if you are a smoker by those results. I am assuming the chest ct was done after the chest xray and it was done to evaluate the nodular opacity. I disagree that the mild/moderate on echo results are the reason for the fatigue but again without more information it is a guessing game. Lung cancer does not usually cause axillary lymph nodes. Keep us informed. Pucci