Thursday, August 25, 2011

Good News

This is going to be a quick post, but I can't leave you all hanging!  My PET scan results are in, and guess what?





Wrong!  Guess again.


I had three liver tumors all along!  Somehow, in going over past scans, the hidden third one was found. Where's Waldo came out of hiding.

And, all three have shrunk on chemo.

So, my consult to see if I can have surgery on my liver is in the works.  It will take a couple of weeks so don't hold your breath on that one.

There was some bad news:  I need a blood transfusion.  My reds finally gave up the ghost and are now mere watery pinks.  I've been breathless and tired for a long time and I get a bit dizzy now and then, so they are going to give me a boost.  That happens tomorrow and it takes six hours.  They good news is the transfusion center has wifi so my addiction to Big Love can continue, the bad news is it takes six hours so I had to take the day off.

Cancer is the most time-consuming thing I have EVER done.

The other bad news is my port turned into a one-way port.  Drugs go in, but nothing goes out.  They think probably a fibrin sheath has formed over the end, which creates a little flap.  When things go in, like chemo drugs, it opens.  When they try to suck stuff out of it, like blood, it closes.  Kind of like a heart valve.

Anyway, I have to have a dye study done to see if that's the case - if so, they will give me clot busting drugs to open it up.  It's not a complication I wanted and I was told it was more common when having a port in the arm, so I guess I gambled and lost.  Somebody will surely say "I told you so."    It's not dangerous though, if taken care of.

There is your quick update.

I hope the transfusion gives me energy.  I hear it might.  It would be wonderful if I could actually clean the house and come home from work and cook dinner for a change.

If oxygen gets to my brain, I might even be able to write an interesting blog post again!

16 comments:

  1. Ann,

    I hope all goes well with your transfusion tomorrow. I'll be having surgery to remove the rest of the skin cancer off my ear tomorrow afternoon. We'll see what kind of ear I have left afterward. :)

    Susan

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  2. You will love the transfusion, it will make a huge difference right away and the process is pretty easy. Just make sure you make sure they are making sure they are giving you the right blood type! Fantastic news, never was mistake so welcome

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  3. Three all along?? Holy shit, I'd never thought of that scenario!!

    Good news it is, Ann :)

    Good luck with the tranfusion. Maybe you'll sleep through it .. and gain some energy t'boot!

    HUGS!
    gayle

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  4. Great news! Hope you will feel better after transfuse. Don't waste you energy on housecleaning though; spend it all on us, your readers, your friends.
    love
    Els from Amsterdam

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  5. Fantastic news, Ann. This is a whole new scenario! I'll bet you'll feel like a different person after the transfusion... I remember feeling more human after iron tablets! With love,
    Ann from England. xx

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  6. So glad you're getting some good news...the thought that it might have been there all along and they might have missed it actually did cross my mind. It's the only thing that makes sense in light of the shrinkage. Yay!

    And I found liquid iron (Floradix, in health food stores) to be easy on the system and actually not bad tasting, if that would help you any.

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  7. So glad the chemo is shrinking those tumors, Ann. Your statement that, "Cancer is the most time-consuming thing I have EVER done" rings so true.

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  8. Ditto on the "Cancer is the most time-consuming thing I have EVER done" statement.

    While your news would have been more exciting had it been even better ... such as ... "Oops! No liver mets at all! They got my scan results mixed up with someone else's.) ... it's good to know why there was strangeness and that's it no longer strange ... just unwelcome.

    Good luck with the transfusion. Use your new found energy for happy stuff. Annoy your family, for example. A mother who isn't annoying her kids and husband isn't doing her job, right?

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  9. YAY! I'm with Heather, I wish the news had been 'no liver mets' but we'll take no new tumor, that's pretty good. HOPING HOPING HOPING that you are able to have surgery (sorry Waldo). Good luck to you Ann! Mary, Last Call For Margaritas

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  10. I am delighted to know that your tumors have responded well to chemo and there's the possibility of the surgery, and while it sucks to have to get a transfusion, I think it will make a huge difference in your quality of life to feel that energy again. Also, no other mets! No other mets! That's FANTASTIC. I'm so pleased for you, Ann, and wishing you nothing but the best here on out!!

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  11. I got a neupogen shot so it is interfering with the blood transfusion. I have a headache and body aches. I wish I hadn't had that shot, I might have had energy for today. I am breathing better.

    And, my blood type is different than I had thought!

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  12. I am so happy that there are no new tumors
    I was so hoping you would feel better after the transfusion , but just read at the bottom of the comments that you don't .
    Hopefully the headache and body aches does go away in a couple days and you do have more energy
    ((hugs))

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  13. I so enjoy your blog!!...if it wasn't such a suckie topic ....I would LOVE it...ok,I do love it...you make a suckie topic somehow bearable with comic relief...You are the Erma Bombeck on Cancer treatment...better than Erma.
    More like Tina Fey...Keep on keeping on!

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  14. I wish you the best Ann. It's good to see that the doctors are on top of things and that you haven't had any new tumor growths. My mom has found several lumps and I'm hoping that they turn out not to be cancer. Keep spreading inspiration to women everywhere.

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