After numerous phone calls and countless hours WAITING and WAITING for a return phone call from the message that was left by my oncologist, I FINALLY heard back, not once, but twice tonight.
It turns out that the CT scan I had on Monday showed not only the [supposed] ovarian cyst still there, but also about 5 enlarged lymph nodes. They are all in one area of the lower abdomen, so that’s “good” news. Lungs, heart, rest of torso all looked good on the scan.
What does it mean, you ask? Well, it means a needle biopsy in the next couple of weeks to see what little secrets the lymph nodes that are swollen are keeping. Could be melanoma again, could be…well, something else. If it’s melanoma, then surgery is in my near future (again). And we go from there. I’m certainly not ready to start looking beyond the biopsy. I know what’s out there, but I am not crossing that bridge before we get to it, thank you very much.
I also have a MRI scheduled for Wednesday – they’re gonna check out my brain (and make sure it’s still there, I guess). I don’t mind the MRI so much, especially since …
Here we go again
MRI-2
Today I went to my home away from home – no, not my office or the bookstore – to U of M Hospital. I know it probably sounds strange, but I’m so comfortable there and none of my visits freak me out like I figured they would. I know my way around, the people are all so good and friendly; it’s not a bad place to be.
I had a second MRI – this time of my abdomen/kidney because my CT scan showed a small spot and Dr. L wanted to make sure that it was merely a cluster of blood vessels, as he suspects it is. He’s not concerned, so neither am I.
The MRI experience was definitely different this time. Last time it was just of my head, which was not very bad…loud, yes, but I certainly didn’t freak out or anything. Today, my whole body went into the machine and my arms were trapped by my sides. I wasn’t disturbed by the squishiness factor as much as I sort of forgot how to breathe right. Yes, that’s right, I was totally breathing wrong – couldn’t catch my breath, then was breathing too slow – as if I was just …
