scans done not good

shazzie · Regular Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 19

Hi everyone,
i'd like to say thank you to those that replied to my other thread (help maybe cancer)
my husband got the scans done there is a mass on his right lung and a few small 6mm noduals, from what the scan report says there is something there that needs looking into, My husband will be seeing his DR tomorrow... i am so worried and frightened, he already has emphysema i'm not sure he will have the energy to fight this..
this is what some of the report said:
confluent focal air space opacification right middle lobe with extensive interstital changes extending towards the right upper zone. hilar node is noted 1.1cm and small mediastinal nodes are noted measuring up to 6mm in the right paratracheal region. the diagnosis of exclusion would be that of neoplastic change,
it also says these changes are less likely to be inflammatory change.
i'm just so worried

xxx shazzie

onecoyote · Senior User Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 150

Hi Shazzie,
Your husband's report sounds similar to my husband's in certain spots. I would hazard a guess that they will want to do a biopsy by broncoscopy (inserting a tube down the nose into the lung) and possibly a mediastinoscopy (small incision made in the front of the neck at the top of the breastbone). The broncoscopy was well tolerated by my husband. They gave a light sedative, inserted scope, looked around and took sesame seed sized samples of lung tissue and it was over in a flash. The mediastinoscopy required general anesthesia, a small incision was made so they could look into the mediastinum(includes the heart, the aorta, the thymus gland, the chest portion of the trachea, the esophagus and lymph nodes). This also was tolerated well by my husband as it was not what one would consider "major" surgery.
My husband also suffered from emphysema which can make xrays/scans a bit harder to read. These tests will either rule in or out the cancer question.
The radiologist was pretty much telling your doctor to do more tests as it doesn't look like the changes could be attributed to COPD( which is an inflammatory process).
Tell your husband that he can and will get through these diagnostic tests. Not knowing is far worse.
Hoping for a great outcome,
Charlene
_________________
Husband Danny, age 66,
diagnosed squamous cell June 6, 2008,
Right pneumonectomy performed with no adjuvant chemo or radiation on Sept. 2008
Metastatic lung cancer in the ribs, scapula and right kidney raised it's ugly head May 2009.
Renal cell carcinoma diagnosed May 2009
One round carbo/taxol, too weak to continue
Cancer racing like a freight train
Held my husband's hand when he passed away September 29, 2009

shazzie · Regular Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 19

Thanks Charlene for your reply,
its a lot to deal with isn't it?, the tests the waiting and not knowing...
i keep telling myself its not cancer but i have this feeling that it is,
was your husband in and out of hospital quick when he had the tests or did he have to stay in hospital?
its just like a night mare, something that you hear about not something that happens to a loved one.
xxx shazzie

onecoyote · Senior User Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 150

Hi Shazzie,
The thing that got me through the initial stages of diagnosis was remaining very clinical. I wanted to know everything about the tests and I always asked the doctors to explain them to me in detail. I was lucky that my husband's doctors were so forthcoming, I think it was because I didn't let emotion get in the way.
Don't let all this make you think I was cold to all that was going on. In private I cried my eyes out. There were days when I thought my eyes were naturally red...lol.
Both biopsies were outpatient tests, the broncoscopy not taking as long because it didn't use general anesthesia. I remember my husband saying that having the mediastinoscopy prepared him for the big lung removal operation a month later (he had never had an operation before).
Yes, the waiting was probably the hardest part of all this. Deep inside I always knew it was cancer but until I got the final report, I literally held my breath. One thing that did help was having a sincere chat with the pulmonologist. I told him of the stress that is created by the waiting time. I said it made the family physically sick and you know what he did? He personally went down to pathology and hurried them along and then called us at home with the results. I thought for sure we'd have to wait for a sit down appointment. My husband playfully called me "pushy" but sometimes pushy helps..lol.
My prayers for a good, speedy outcome,
Charlene
_________________
Husband Danny, age 66,
diagnosed squamous cell June 6, 2008,
Right pneumonectomy performed with no adjuvant chemo or radiation on Sept. 2008
Metastatic lung cancer in the ribs, scapula and right kidney raised it's ugly head May 2009.
Renal cell carcinoma diagnosed May 2009
One round carbo/taxol, too weak to continue
Cancer racing like a freight train
Held my husband's hand when he passed away September 29, 2009

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 2400

Hi Gals,

Sending big hugs of understanding to both of you today.

God bless all of you and yours,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

shazzie · Regular Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 19

Hi Charlene
i don't think you were cold, i have been sort of doing the same thing, i wait until everyone is in bed at night and then i cry, this waiting is hard my husband had the scans done and went to his Dr the dr didn't want him to wait to see a specialist so he sent him to the hospital to have a biopsy, mu husband went to the hospital yesterday saturday they made him wait 5 hours only to tell him they wont do it because they don't know enough about his medical history and he will have to go to his lung specialist first, it could take weeks to get into see the specialist, its already been two weeks since all this started, my husband has to go back to the dr tomorrow to get a referral for the specialist and see if they can speed things up.
did your husband have to go to a specialist first or did the dr send him to the hospital for his biopsy?
this waiting is making me sick
xxx shazzie

onecoyote · Senior User Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 150

Hi Shazzie,
The health care system sure could use a kick in the butt. We all have done the musical chairs routine. Yes, in the US at least, a primary care needs to send you to a pulmonologist or someone with the expertise to perform the biopsy. Depends on which type of procedure they are going to do as to which specialist is chosen. The broncoscopy was done by my husband's pulmonologist however the mediastinoscopy was done by the thoracic surgeon. Regular physicians rarely tackle such big fish.
A few weeks wait is not uncommon, it stinks from a family's viewpoint. My husband's ultimate lung removal surgery finally happened 2 months from the time of diagnosis. Yes, it was hell waiting. As long as there isn't anything putting your husband in eminent danger they usually proceed through the normal referral channels. If something of an emergency nature was going on such as profuse bleeding, the doctor would surely put a rush on things. Your husband's doctor seems like a guy looking out for his welfare. He might do you a favor like getting the biopsy report before the pulmonologist does and letting you know the results by phone.
Wishing you the speediest outcome,
Charlene
_________________
Husband Danny, age 66,
diagnosed squamous cell June 6, 2008,
Right pneumonectomy performed with no adjuvant chemo or radiation on Sept. 2008
Metastatic lung cancer in the ribs, scapula and right kidney raised it's ugly head May 2009.
Renal cell carcinoma diagnosed May 2009
One round carbo/taxol, too weak to continue
Cancer racing like a freight train
Held my husband's hand when he passed away September 29, 2009

melkissa · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:59 pm Post subject: Re: scans done not good

Big hugs to both of you. Keeping you in my thoughts!
_________________
My dad was diag w/nsclc stage 4 & mets to spine & hips on 11/08 at age 43. Large mass on R lung & collapsed L lung. No surgery so chemo & rad 5d/wk. No results. 4/09 rushed to the hospital b/c breathing issues. Hooked up to o2 & treated for infection. Released when o2 levels were good w/help from Hospice at home. In Hospice as of 6/2/09. Passed 6/10/09. Missing you forever daddy.

maryaz · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:23 pm Post subject: Re: scans done not good

Hi Shazzie; I am not one to speak up, loudly, very often. I relate to your saying how your husband did not get the tests after 5 hours of waiting and then told to see Pulmonary dr. I want to tell you that if you are reasonable about it, it is okay to speak up sometimes and be heard. They were really right probably.

We went to my husband’s pulmonary appointment to find out about the results of his needle biopsy. We knew it was back and waited all weekend for this Monday appointment. Welllll, we arrived and the girl said he had no appointment. My husband, being like many men, was accepting that answer and leaving. NOT ME! I spoke up so everyone could hear me and started with “you are telling me that husband DOES NOT have an appointment, and we cannot see him. This is not acceptable, my husband needs to find out if he has cancer and we waited all weekend for this_ _ _ _”. By the time I was done ‘speaking up’ the receptionist said we could see a PA but the doctor was not in. We saw the doctor when we were called back. They told us he was not even there but he was. I blame the girls up front for all of this. They were switching systems and getting on a electronic system, but nothing was a good reason. We had the appointment card at home and we were right. This is my doctor and my husband’s and we both like this group. Just a bad deal.

Would not have written so much but just want everyone to realize that cancer ‘waiting’ is bad enough. Speak up if justified. Some things do take time. I was NOT going to wait 2 weeks for another appointment.

Shazzie; It would have been normal to see the Pulmonary Dr first if your husband’s emphysema is bad enough. My husband had many delays and we were getting drained waiting. The waiting is awful. I have severe COPD and am aware of some of the problems.

I sure hope you are finding answers since you last posted. I don’t get here often and just wanted to let you know someone else is thinking of you and praying for you

Edit note: I just realized Shazzie had a more current topic. I will put this post in it.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

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