recurrence after stage III TNBC?
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Pesky you have truly been through the wringer. (What an asshole you ex is!) You are a tough woman not to be lying on the floor in a puddle. Maybe a lawyer could COMPEL your ex to insure you through your treatment. I hope you have a good one, to protect your interests. They can garnish wages, etc.
Anyway, here's hoping for clear tests and an end to the chapter of uncertainty and medical appointments.
Is there a non-profit hospital in your area? The reason I ask, it is my hosp is non profit, and when I was paying a copay for a scan on line I saw that there was an old bill -- from a colonoscopy over a year before, that I had never paid... they had NEVER ONCE bugged me about it, so I had no idea it existed!! Having no pressure, no collections, no "past due" notices etc, could be a gift... so you could get back on your feet and address any copays or outstanding bills later.
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Sorry you are going through so much. I can understand a doctor not writing a referral for a patient he/see has never seen. That would be pretty irresponsible. You are under no obligation to go through with all of the tests ordered, but a liver ultrasound for elevated enzymes sounds very reasonable. Hoping things turn around for you. I know tests are stressful, but when you want/need answers, this is the only way to get them. Hoping your answers come soon, and that there are benign explanations, so you can concentrate on job hunting full time.
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What a low life guy. So sorry Pesky. You have been through so much I want to just give you a hug and say it will be ok. ~big hug~ Unfortunately you most likely have some more shit to wade through before things seem to settle down. When it rains it pours so hang in there girl. As for the doctor I think it’s good he would rather be sure about everything than dismissing your history and concerns. Better safe than sorry even if it’s a pain in the ass. Can you get on a state healthcare plan in the meantime? Right before my initial diagnosis I was a dirt poor college kid and applied for California state health insurance. I was able to get coverage and it has been a literal lifesaver with how disgustingly overpriced anything medical related is. Aflac has cancer insurance that I’ve heard about...maybe just a specific plan like that could be affordable till you get a good job. Does your doctor know a bit about your situation? Sometimes they can be a great resource for getting patients help with stuff like this. My MO was able to get a chemo, my insurance wouldn’t cover at all and would be $12k a month, to me for free through a program from the drug company. I didn’t even think that that was a thing! I know scans are different, but you don’t know what help might be put there. Wishing you the best with this and that everything works out ok in the end.0
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You have to have AFLAC coverage a month before diagnosis for it to kick in. It would not cover anything relater to a preexisting cancer.
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Good luck tomorrow pesky!
We're crossing our fingers you get this figured out and it is something fixable and simple.
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Thank you! I had the MRI this morning. It was just the right hip. It took a loooong time, over an hour. Now to wait for results...
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Great news, just got an email from my oncologist’s NP saying there was no cancer seen in my hip. Excellent!
Annoying though, she wrote that there was some inflammation seen in the area. She wrote “That probably explains the pain. You can take Motrin for it.”
It’s annoying because I was explicitly clear multiple times that I don’t have ANY pain in my hip. So it just proves a lot of times these folks are only half listening. And the information she gave was so vague. Oh well.
Still good news though. I would actually like to know what inflammation in the hip is caused by and what it could lead to. Only because I’m 44 and would like to know I’m not looking at any potential hip problems.
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Inflammation is often dietary in origin. You can look up "low inflammation diet" and see how far off your diet might be. It can also be age related or degeneration related (arthritis). I think diet is smart to look at though because a low inflammation diet is basically identical to an anti-cancer diet.
SO happy to hear your good result and SO glad they phoned you fast!!!!!
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Thanks, I will look into inflammation diet! Wouldn’t diet cause inflammation in other places too, not just the hip? My diet can’t grt much cleaner so I hope I don’t have to change it much. I already don’t eat anything fun, lol.
I wish she didn’t use such vague language. “Looks like there is inflammation in the area.” Looks like? Why can’t she just say there is inflammation in the area. Because if there’s s chance it’s arthritis or degeneration or something I’d like to get on top of it by seeing a specialist.
I’m only 44. I’d like to head off potential hip problems. I will have to ask them if they recommend any specific follow up for it to head off any future hip injury or anything.
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Great news!
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Happy dance for the good news!!!
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Yay for good news!
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Thanks, all! Next up is the liver ultrasound next Tuesday.
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Yay! Glad you got good news!
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Had the liver ultrasound today. She spent a long time on my right side and kept pushing hard on my lower outer right ribs, so now they hurt a lot.
Urinalysis came back with trace blood and no urobilinogen (there should be traces of that in normal urine and if there isn't, it could mean the liver is not functioning properly) but nothing else. I'm sure they are going to try to give me antibiotics now for a urinary tract infection, even though I have no symptoms.
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When do you get results from your Doc? Hoping for the best for you!
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Thanks! Hope to have results within a few days.
I just got the actual MRI report from last week. It says "There is a focus of T2 hyperintensity in the soft tissues posteriorly adjacent to the posterior cortex at the level of the gluteal tubercle." Guess they weren't worried about that, whatever it is.
Also says "follicles are suggested in the right ovary."
I would think that anything that lights up on a cancer patient would be further investigated but I guess it's nothing to worry about.
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Just because something is noted in a report does not mean it is something concerning. I would not try to analyze how long they spent on different areas. When they do ultrasounds, there are certain structures they have to image depending on what they are scanning. Sometimes it takes a bit to get a decent image of the structures because we're all built slightly differently.
I was sent to a urologist due to blood in the urine. I have had blood in the urine on every urine test for about the past 5-10 years. They have no idea why. So....it is not always a reason for concern, but you can ask for a urology referral if you are concerned.
Hoping you get your results soon and that all is normal so that you can rest easier again.
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I would imagine your Docs will go over it with you when they give you the liver info.
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Pesky I recently had a spinal MRI that noticed an ‘artifact’ and some other big medical words that make a few sentences. Long story short it didn’t mean anything concerning cancer. I’m trying to base my stress and worry on facts and move away from the what if’s or could be. Hope you feel a bit better from all the poking! I go in for a biopsy on the left breast to make sure it’s still the same cancer and to retest or any useful mutations or any straws to grab at.
Cheers
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Haven't heard anything from doctor re: blood in urine.
Yesterday I got a letter from a different doctor who I guess is covering for my PCP. It stated
"1. No significant abnormality seen to account for patient's
abnormal liver function tests.
2. Partial obscuration of the pancreas."
So it's good to hear that my liver looks okay. I will again express annoyance at the choice of language used by medical professionals. There was no need to include the word "significant." Just say "no abnormality" for cripes sake! LOL. Maybe it's because I was an English major, but it irks me when they say things like that because a) it's unnecessary, and b) it changes the meaning of what they're saying to the layperson reading it. "No significant abnormality" in any other context would mean there is some abnormality, but nothing significant.
But to doctors and scientists, this is how they choose to state that there's nothing wrong. The doctor who wrote this thinks she said the liver is normal, when according to the English language and rules of grammar, what she actually wrote is that there is nothing seen that could account for the elevated ALP, but the way she wrote it leaves it open to the idea that there could be something abnormal about the liver. (Which there is; I KNOW I have at least one cyst, which is not at all noted on this report. It's also noted that this ultrasound was compared to my abdominal CT from 7/2017 after I was first diagnosed and that CT noted at least one cyst that I recall.) So maybe the language is written in order to cover themselves legally or something. It's just silly. If there is nothing wrong, just say there's nothing wrong. Don't add words that create completely unnecessary ambiguity. <rant over> lol.
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While I’m no expert in English by any means the wording on my reports, be it blood or ct scan, is either confusing or unnecessary! My recent spinal MRI mentions an ‘artifact’ insuring the view in a specific area....apparently I just moved and they got a blurry picture. No artifact as far as I’m concerned
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