If you are not Stage IV but have questions, you may post here
Comments
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Yes indeed, the earliest appointment with a neurologist is December, but I'm on the cancellation list. Going to get a massage today. My sister thinks its anxiety manifesting itself, which could very well be.
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Good evening. I am very new here. Around March 2016 or April 2016, the doctor who read/did my mom's MRI told my family (Family in Hawaii and I'm in Colorado) that my mom (60) has 6 months to live because she has metastatic cancer. My daughters and I flew to Hawaii to see her and my family. The Doctor's prognosis was no where to be found in my mother's medical files. My question is, how do I go about asking the doctor to give us a written note regarding his prognosis-that she has 6 months to live? I have tried to call the hospital and the customer representative had him paged and give me a call but i got nothing.
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so sorry melwee for what you and your family are going through. I lost my mother this year. My thoughts are with you.
For your question sounds like you need an advocate of some kind to help. Some of the people that maybe able to help are a social worker or a cancer navigator and if your mother has neither of those ask for a nurse.
Good luck and peace
Mary
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I am sorry to hear that. My mother is determined to live longer. She is on that pill-hormnes. She had 10 sessions of radiation and she refuse to do chemo. She is going organic al the way and changed her lifestyle completely. Her lumps have disappeared according to the doctor on her last appointment (july2016). Her oncologist does not say anything about her living for only 6 months. I am trying to help her with her finances from afar and I thought the prognosis would help in many ways. Thank you for your reply. I hope you are doing okay.
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melwee, no doctor can give a prognosis as no one knows if she will progress. If she is determined to live, why is she turning down chemo? Chemo has been around for many, many years and has proven results. Being on anti-hormonals is a good thing, so that should help her. Is she finished rads? That seems like a short treatment.
Why would a prognosis help her finances? I'm not sure what you are asking here.
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GooniesGirl, believe it or not, you can still have gallstones. Yes, I've had them several times in the twenty-ish years since gall bladder surgery. Sometimes they have had to be removed, sometimes they passed. Once, a nasty infection was involved. Your symptoms do sound to me as though you might have passed a nasty stone, but if the pain returns before Thursday, the ER would probably give you a quicker dx.
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Brookside, I was told years ago that they have to actually "catch" the stone by ultrasound trying to pass to be able to confirm a gallstone. My ultrasound said my gallbladder was normal, but what if I'd already passed a stone? It's frustrating...but thanks for the heads-up to Goonie as her and I are kind of going through the same thing right now.
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My first gallstone episode after my gallbladder went bye-bye scared the stuffing out of me. I was convinced I was having a heart attack. The ER doc knew right away what it was. Apparently only 5% of us have repeat gallstones. Lucky us!
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Brookside. Thank you for that info I never thought about gallstones with gallbladder gone!! I googled it and you are totally right and that makes sense with pain I'm having!! I have dr apt today so hopefully will get answers soon!!
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Looking forward to hearing back from you today, Goonie. Good luck!
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if this is helpful to anyone else, had an Ultasound last night for the lump in my solar plexus region. Radiology report came back (over the phone):
Hematoma or
Sebaceous cyst or
Fat necrosis
Looks like ^^
Two point something centimeter
"Fluid filled" (heard these words)
If it gets bigger, my MO might investigate further.
Fought off (not hard) a CT Scan. She kept mentioning that and still mentions for this and my sore rib spot. Also possibly a biopsy. Im just happily in waiting mode for either of those two steps. She wants me to call back sooner than my next appt (late October) for a progress report on if lump grows or if I still have rib soreness.
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Fluid filled is what you want to hear for sure!
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Like, like. Wish we had a like button. Thanks kayb and barbe!
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Good news, dear Quinn!
Taking a deep, relaxing breath with you.
Fluid filled somethings can be lived with.
And do watch that walking in the heat thing.
warmest healing wishes, Stephanie
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Great news Quin! You can now breathe that sigh of relief.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Thanks Stephanie and Chrissy. You are kind people. I will breath, totally, when this rib soreness goes away. Then home free for awhile .
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Hi Barbe, just reading thru the posts here and wanted to ask you a question - did you have a ct scan that showed maybe spots on your liver that you thought maybe it was mets to the liver?
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Just thought I would update for you Barbe- my oncologist retired 2 years ago so made my appointment with new family dr. He has ordered a ct scan without contrast on Monday. I'm glad he ordered test but nervous because during my time with my oncologist he always did ct scan with contrast! What is the difference?
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alexis, I wasn't feeling good, very tired and couldn't do a full day at work. I was seeing my surgeon anyway and asked him to do a CBC as well as LFT (liver function test) as I was having pain in my upper right quadrant. The levels were high which concerned us so on to the ultrasound. I can't get an MRI because I have a pacemaker.
Goonies, I've had a kidney issue show up only when a DOUBLE contrast CT was done so I don't know why they do it sometimes and not others!
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Goonies, I think you should call your doc first thing Monday morning and ask him about the lack of contrast. Depending on exactly what they're looking for, contrast might not be as important. But, like you, I have always had contrast w/CTs when looking for or ruling out metastatic activity. I would definitely ask!
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So by nature I am not an alarmist. I have had medical issues for years before the BC diagnosis in May. I am lucky that I have stage 1 even though I have 4 tumors and a mix of IDC and ILC. I haven't had any treatment other then a BMX at the end of June. My lymph nodes were clear. My problem is that I have bad neck pain near base of scull. They did do a bone scan and said it was clear. Should I go to see my primary Dr or just deal with the pain and call it just bum luck? Could I have Mets and they just didn't find it on the bone scan? Does that happen? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.
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Mom, I understand your fear, it's a fear we have all felt. A recent bone scan would have picked up something even if it wasn't cancer related. My bone scans pick up my horrid arthritis and degenerative disk disease but haven't "found" mets yet. It even shows an old injury on my right ankle!
So, having had a recent surgery and the stress of diagnosis, I wouldn't be surprised if you were a ball of tension right now. See your doc but try for massage, heat/cold, Tylenol, etc before more scans and tests. The benchmark is a two-week window before going to your doctor, so make sure you let him know if it's been that long. Both he and you can monitor symptoms as they arise, it's a team effort, sweetie.
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hey gals,
this rib thing i have..
It definitely starts up after ten minutes or more walking..then is like a very bad stitch. a few times i have noticed it as a dull ache. this couple with both arms playing up with aching and swelling..
I've decided I should act on it.
my gut tells me maybe arthritis or osteo porosis in ribs.maybe stress fracture from this..
but you know..mr naggy head monster in my head tells me 'uh 'oh'....
not really listening to old naggy head though. I know I need to get this looked at. I'm thinking my chiropractor might be able to get me a bone scan, so i will ask her. its less scary coming from her than surgeon or onc. (yes, I am a big fat fraidy cat!!!!)darn. wish it would just go away!!!
love astrid.
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Hiya Quinn,
I too am relieved they say 'fluid filled'
but...
i would get the ct scan...
when you are ready of course!
love astrid.
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You can have bone mets that do not appear in a ct/bone scan. What I don't know is whether mets that don't appear in a scan could be significant enough to cause pain. That is a question for the bone mets ladies. I have a bone met but it is small, painless and probably healed. I've chosen denial as my way to approach my bone mets situation and don't know much about bone mets.
However, as barb said, you really have to consider stress and tension. What do you like to do to relieve stress and tension? Walk, massage, prayer, meditation? That will help no matter what is going here.
>Z<
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Hi zaroyka,
i don't know if you were posting to me or Quinn, or both, but..
i like to do all the things you mentioned. trouble is, the walking is now bringing on rib pain. i think i need to rule out a stress factor yeah?
if ct/bone may not show anything..would a pet scan do it?
or as you say..if it doesnt show..no need to bother about it?
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Astrid - I missed your post. I was responding to Mom.
If I were you I would go to an oncologist and tell them you are concerned because of the pain and you feel it is time to do a CT/Bone scan. If they agree you need it, have them order it. I suspect they will scan you given the history of cancer. But it is certainly a reasonable request. CT/Bone scans do miss very small mets, but that is not a reason not to scan.
The scanning you do for cancer is a bit different than if you are looking for things that chiropractors understand, like arthritis. Medical doctors and chiropractors make mistakes when diagnosing cancer. I was mis-diagnosed for 9 long months during which my cancer probably spread quite a bit.
My response was to Mom who I believe had a clean scan but still feels pain. You have pain, but you haven't been seen by an oncologist recently or scanned. Different situation. I would definitely see an oncologist and I won't be surprised if you and the oncologist agree that a scan is a good idea.
And do watch the stress. These periods of diagnosis and re-diagnosis are terrible.
>Z<
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Barbe and Zarovska, thanks for the advice. I feel better knowing that although the scan could have missed something small it probably isn't what I'm dealing with. I've been considering going for a massage. I think I've only had 3 my entire life but maybe this is a good time for a fourth. I do a lot of hiking. That has been a big help for me emotionally. I was once told that just 30 or an hour outside in nature walking is equivalent to 50 Prozac pills. I guess I won't be depressed even though my head and neck may explode. Lol.
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thanks so much zarovka.
I appreciate your reply very much.
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dlb823- I took your advice and called dr to add contrast thank you so much for your opinion and advice
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