Day 349 - Brass Tacks & Eeyore



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 So the PET Scan results. I asked for a recount but the tech my medical oncologist's office was very clear that the electorate from Florida did not in any way vote on my scans results. Too bad, because I'd pay some nice long $$ for a recount.

Brass tacks; the scan showed activity up near my jaw which if there had to be activity this is where they would have expected it as that is the area where the lymph node my forehead drains into. So while that news was unwelcome, the scan cannot determine where just a single node is infected or more than one. And just how infected; just a tad of initial infiltration, or more than a tad (I think the medical term for more than a tad is TAD aka big-tad). That won't be known until my surgical oncologist gets in there and see what I have in there for her on April 13th.

Brass tacks pt.2, the scan also showed activity in my left knee. Now I wondered going into the scan if this might happen. Some of you who have been with me here for a while may recall I get gout flare ups 2-3x a year. For about 10-days now I have been fighting such a flare up. I chose not to mention in any recent blog posts as it was just another dose of sorry news and my posts have been gloomy enough.

My medical oncologist feels that this activity certainly could be gout related, but is not willing to rule it out on my word; smart! He has scheduled me for an MRI for this Saturday and also a blood test and consultation with him next Thursday.

The MRI will hopefully rule in/out whether it is gout, arthritis, a chicken wing bone, or melanoma that is causing the angst between my knee & I.

The blood test will be the usual battery I take annually as follow up from my 2001 colon cancer, and it will also include a LDH level test. This specific test is supposed is run for many reason but for patients with melanoma, it is used to determine if the cancer has metastasized (spread) to organs beyond the skin or lymph nodes. Sounds like a winner; I'll take one! I kind of thought that is what the PET Scan was supposed to do too, and I believe so and if so I should feel good that the scan only showed activity in the jaw area and knee. Right?

That is just one of the zillion new questions I have in mind. I look forward to seeing my medical oncologist earn his pay next Thursday when I hit run him through my gauntlet.

ENOUGH...
Enough cancer news for now. There will be plenty more to come in the comings weeks, I'd like to move on to something non-cancer related & more positive. However this post is long enough as it is and I do not write long posts for a reason. Therefore I will share that more positive hunk of my day yesterday for tomorrow's post.

Until then, remember...
When stuck in the river, it is best to dive and swim to the bank yourself before someone drops a large stone on your chest in an attempt to hoosh you there.

-Eeyore


Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!