Tag: CT

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Good News

Shirley and I met with the oncologist this morning and it was all good news.

Over the last few weeks there has been some testing to see if there is any cancer activity in my body and how I responded to the radiation treatment in June. There was blood work, a CT scan of my neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis plus a PET scan from my neck to mid-thigh.

Then there was the waiting. I must admit I was quite a bit more anxious about today’s meeting after all the other non-cancer medical issues I’ve experienced over the last year on top of the lymphoma reoccurrence . With the testing and the waiting it felt like my life was slowly being put on pause awaiting this result.

The CT results were clear, not detecting any lymphoma. Similarly, the PET scan was clear in the left armpit where previously there had been suspected lymphoma activity. As the report put it the issue had been “resolved”.

After the meeting it felt like the play button had been pressed and I seem to have the desire and motivation to get on with living a fuller life.

The blood work was a bit of up and down. Some indicators had improved and some dipped a bit. The doctor wasn’t concerned and no immediate treatment is planned. In fact while I’ll still have the monthly IVIG treatments there is nothing else planned except monthly bloodwork and a checkup in three months.

Of course things wouldn’t be complete without some numbers and graphs.

White blood cell count took a bit of a dip 😕
Platelets and hemoglobin are slowly edging up to the normal zone
LDH under control

We are so very thankful for this good news and thankful for all of you who have prayed for and supported us in this journey. God bless you all.

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Chest Follow-up and PET Scan

I followed up with my doctor regarding my chest “ache” and updated him on my current symptoms. His opinion at the time was that it could be a neuritis issue, aka nerve damage. The source of the nerve damage could be many but his best diagnosis is that nerves in the spine at the T5/T6 level are being impinged upon by something, like a herniated disk. An Xray would be able to determine if a disc is compressed, a CT scan would be required for a more detailed analysis to determine if there is spinal nerve damage. At this point ( Jan 4th) my doctor doesn’t have access to the Dec. 24th CT report.

PET Scanner at HSC

The PET scan today proceeded quite normally with no issues. The PET scan equipment is over 10 years old and has exceeded it’s life expectancy and is being replaced. The new unit is supposed to be up and running in the next 1-2 weeks. I hope I never see it. On the way out I snapped a photo of the unit I’ve been in a few times.

Later in the day I get a call back from my doctor. He has now reviewed the CT scan report and noted that they detected some damage “within the medial aspect of the right upper lobe”, aka a part of my lung and to a lesser extent similar damage to the left lobe that has been caused by the radiation treatments. This would seem to explain the chest “ache” on the right and left side. There is a possibility that it will heal further, which it will. I’m surprised that this issue has surfaced 90 days post-radiation but I’m told it can happen that way.

The CT report also indicated that the tumour as shrunk by approximately 50% from the May 6, 2020 CT scan, a very good thing.

Next stop is January 11th for the results of the PET scan.

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The Oncologist Visit

So, post blood work, it’s on to the oncologist. We’re greeted by friendly but saddened nurses we’ve worked with before. First Kelly for the initial vital stats and general status questions, then Margret who takes us through the treatment plan and answers a lot of our questions and then Dr. Moltzen who further explains the treatment plan and why it is what it is and clarifies and responds to some additional questions.

So, here is the diagnosis and plan:

  • The growth is a reoccurrence of the 2018 lymphoma
  • It is highly treatable and they are planning for a cure
  • There will be chemotherapy, a different regime than 2018
    • The drugs are not supposed to cause heart damage like in 2018. See MUGA scan on Six Month Followup
    • Hair loss is “sometimes”, last time it was “for sure” 🙂
  • Autologous (I’m the donor) bone marrow transplant
Continue reading “The Oncologist Visit”