Finally, I get a decent MRI report from a radiologist. I refused to go back to Georgetown University Hospital MRI after they idly speculated that "some enhancement" "could be a tumor" but the Lombardi Cancer Center Tumor Board said it was normal postoperative changes.. Instead I went back to Diagnostic Health who took the time to really spell out the findings, noting increased water content , perfusion, T1 weighted fat-satuated images, inversion-recovery images, before and after contrast. etc. The icing on the cake was the impression: [quote]There are no findings specifically worrisome for tumor recurrence...No abnormal soft issue enhancement ...[/quote] No shilly shallying around or hedging. I am so relieved that it does not show another recurrence. Now if the next MRI in six months is clear, then I should be in sight of the path out of the woods. Despite my screen name, the third time of being told I have cancer would not be the charm I had hoped for.
Charm
Great news, glad you found someone to give the straight answers, keep up the fight in this WAR!!! Semper-Fi Bob
Charm,
Wonderful news and you deserve a break like this! One question--did you request that the radiologist give you a more detailed report or is that the norm for that facility?
Anita
Congrats Charm! I'm so happy about this. I hope it will allow you to rest a little easier
K
Great news Old Frack. I am thrilled for you.
Congrats Charm. My prayers are with you!
Fantastic..Congratulations!!
I would toot it that same horn and wish that this is just the beginning of a whole string of good news!
M
Great news. I am so impressed that you managed to get the detailed radiology report.
Keep on fighting!
Cathy
fantastic news charm! congrats!
Thanks everybody. It's the same story that DavidCPA tells on how he went through 5 doctors. As the Miracles sang in their hit 1960 single:
[quote]My mama told me��you better shop around�
(Shop, shop around) a-whoa-yeah
You better (uh-huh) shop around!
(Shop, shop around)
Uh-uh-uh[/quote]
I did write a cover note to the reviewing radiologist setting forth my request and my concerns over the prior MRI "findings".
So I think it's a combination: they will give a detailed report addressing your concerns provided you ask. Georgetown Hospital just disregarded my similar request when they did their MRI. I know where I'm getting my MRI's done from now on.
Charm
Yeah, Charm, you keep kicking a**!
Awesome results...keep on keeping on!
Hugs
Donna
Congrats on the wonderful news!!!! You are correct with not wanting to hear those awful words for a third time. Wishing you many more good scans
Charm,
Great news and good work on your part in getting a straight answer.
The radiologist reading the results uses a standard report to cover all possibiliteis. It is up to the doctor to sort it out. In the meantime we can go crazy from the sometimes frightening, sometimes vague and often unintelligble jargon. As a veteran of many tests,x-rays and ultrasounds I feel that the worst scenario is to get a letter with the recommendation to check with your physician. I much prefer having the doctor let me know what the findings are and discuss what should be done next. The reports are good to keep for one's records and as a point of reference when talking with the doctors.
I recently had the annual CT for my kidneys. Since my 1st CT the doctors had been monitoring a small spot which now seems to have changed shape and gotten smaller. The resident came in and said the radiologist recommended a 6 month follow-up CT based on chages in the kidney which had not been operated on. My doctor came in and said that the spot probably had collapsed. I could have the CT in 6 mo if I wanted, but that given my history he didn't beleive it was cancer and given that unlikely occurance it would be so slow growing thqat another 6 months would not be critical.
Yeah for you. Gives hope to those of us just starting.
Wow - how nice to hear from you all. Today we saw the ENT surgeon and she confirmed with a visual examination and hands on palpitation the good news of the MRI. Even better, she cleared up that my "one year" period started at the surgery and not the clean up Cyberknife so since tomorrow is one year since the surgery, I have finally gone one year without active Cancer. First time in three years !!
In anticipation of the good news, I packed a can of Jevity, a cup and a syringe so I could take my wife out to a celebratory lunch in Georgetown at one of our favorite Indian restaurants, where she had delicious tandoori oven baked eggplant all curried up over rice with onion kulcha bread. Then we stopped off at a upscale consignment place next door and got a designer handbag (PETA friendly)for $15 on sale. To top it off, as I was about to put money into the parking ticket dispenser, a man pulled up in the street, honked and gave us his which still had an hour left on it. He liked my black Aussie hat with the full length Western black duster.
And like the excerpt from the OCF news feed on Roger Ebert I posted in the coping/anger forum, it was a pleasure to watch my caregiver wife eat her meal while I discreetly syringed my Jevity.
So yes, Seda and all the other new comers, there is HOPE even if you get a recurrence - something that our OCF posters demonstrate each and every day.
Charm
Charm,
Charm,
You are now officially in my "what a guy" category. I have been eying a duster for months now to go with my fedora. As I am a huge BSG fan (Google home page) your support of the finer arts was already appreciated, the duster just put you over the top.
Congratulations on the 1 year. Next time you get a chance you should buy something nice for yourself, although I very much understand the concept of; the wife comes first.
Kelly
GREAT NEWS Charm!!!
I'm a tad surprised you didn't tell us that you had a celebratory syringe of wine?
David
It was actually a nice 22 oz bottle of Taj Mahal beer from India. The beer is a little trickier than wine due to the carbonation but the key is judicious application of a napkin over the syringe tip while moving between glass and feeding tube.
You know me too well
Charm
Kelly
Thanks. I think I posted some time ago that the duster was actually a reaction to the uber expensive Burberry et al topcoats that the consultants all wore to my meetings with them when I was a government attorney. There was no way to compete with their bespoke suits and pricey rainment (plus I had zero desire to do so) but striding into a room with that full length black duster and outback black hat, all made out of oil cloth burnished my "hired gun" image as I stood steadfast against their attempts to hijack my office's independent IT shop.
thanks for the kind words. BTW, I was fully prepared to hate Caprica but now I love it. Hmmn, guess which kid character grows up to be an Admiral?
Charm
Charm,
I want to add my Congratulations for your wonderful news! You must have such a sense of relief. On Tuesday, it was 1 year since Richard finished his treatments. It feels like a big milestone. I'll never forget all the support from this forum and you are a big part of all of it. Do you have any exciting plans for the future? Geri