PET/CT Scan on Friday, checking for Mets ...

[greenacres]

I posted earlier this year about the ongoing pain throughout my entire spine I've been having and the story behind it (neck pain, middle and lower back pain, headaches, some nausea, head feeling foggy and EXTREME Fatigue). Anyway, I went to see Oncologist on Friday and agrees we need to see if something more is going on. Scheduled a PET/CT for this Friday.

Bloodwork was all good so that is good news to start with and I hope it stays good news. As for my stomach issues, nausea and feeling full they think may be gallbladder, so want me to follow up with my regular primary care Doc.
Is it possible to have bone mets and have normal bloodwork? I hope not.

So through the weekend my neck was in severe pain and a constant headache all Saturday night and through Sunday and still this morning. I took two Oxycodones yesterday and it hardly touched it. I'm about to the point of crying and/or going to the ER for some real good pain medication. They say pain with mets never goes away, well this is definately the pain I am having. I'm just so sick and tired and frustrated with it I WANT A WHOLE NEW SPINE! :::::::::::::) Do they make those??? ;)

Hope you all have a great week and I'll post my results as soon as I know.

[bejuce]

Sorry you're having so much pain. I'll be praying for you that the scan will come back clean.

[caya]

Ditto here greenacres.

I hope the pain can be subsided quickly.

all the best
caya

[greenacres]

Thank you so much. I am so miserable every day. I took an Oxycodone about 2:00 and it's now kicking in and I'm feeling better, but I don't like taking those every single day because if I run out then I have to ask my Dr. for more and I don't want him to think I've become addicted.....I was only taking about 2-3 a week but over the past three days, it's been every day . Thanks.

[Delaney]

I was in tremendous pain with my lower back, had an xray and bone scan and was told everything was ok but turns out my spine was almost worn away in one spot. I have had 4 rods inserted and am pain free now (i take oxycontin twice daily). I hope you get this sorted out as that back pain is soul destroying, I was begging for morphine when I got to the ER.

[yanyan]

Sending you positive vibes for a clean and good scan !

[Pray]

I'm hoping and praying all will go well!

[tricia keegan]

Good luck Greenacres and hope its something easily treatable! xx

[Elizabethtx]

The pain sounds unbearable! Sorry you are going through this. Hope the PET and other tests will give you a clue to what is happening. Prayers for pain relief!

[Jackie07]

One time I requested for an appointment because I was so sure about having mets on my neck area. Turned out it was caused by cervical vertebrae degeneration - the nerves were exposed...

I know the feelings. Hope you will have good news after the scan.

[greenacres]

Thanks everyone! I so appreciate the good thoughts and prayers.

So tomorrow I have a PET/CT scan at 8:30 am - checking for spread to bones. We are going out to eat tonight with some friends and I'm really looking forward to this.

Anyway, it says I should not eat 8 hours before, and last meal should be high in protein. So eight hours before is midnight but my question is tonight when we eat around 6:00 pm, I'm assuming that is the meal that should be high in protein (so I won't have my baked potato), but can I have a few (as in 2-3) mixed drinks tonight? This is all well before my eight hours, but I just didn't know about the alcohol in general / bad?

Geese we hardly ever go out to eat and this was planned three weeks ago before I knew I had to have a scan :( Thanks!

[tricia keegan]

I dont know what the Dr's recommend but the night before my pet/ct I had a few glasses of wine as was very stressed and convinced I had bone mets!! Thankfully I did'nt but the drinks did'nt do any harm lol:)
Good luck and enjoy your dinner!

[Lien]

Hi Greenacres,

I used to have similar symptoms, years before my breastcancer diagnosis. I had a very rare kind of food sensitivity. I had bloating, constant headaches that no drugs would touch, backaches, joint pain, nausea, brain fog and extreme fatigue. When I finally had a specialized blood test done, and went on a strict elimination diet, I felt lightyears better. I rarely have headaches now. Unfortunately my food sensitivities change, so I sometimes have to adjust my diet to get rid of some aches and pains, but generally speaking I'm fine.

This is not classical food allergy, so allergy meds don't work for me. It is food intolerance, which is very hard to detect, because the symptoms sometimes don't occur until 24 to 48 hours after ingesting a food.

I'm not saying this is what's wrong with you, but if the scans come back clean, which I hope they will, you may want to look into this. Please let me know if you need any help with this. I suffered for years, so if I can help you with this, it will be my pleasure. And if you don't want to pursue this, that's fine too. It is a rare disease after all.

Jacqueline

[KDR]

Greenacres, did you get your results yet? Oxycodone and all those other great narcotics are saved for us...if we can't use them liberally, who can? They're ours!!
Hope you are feeling good, enjoy spring,
Karen

[Shobha]

Adding my prayers for clean results.

hugs,
shobha

[greenacres]

Well ladies, my results are NEGATIVE for metastatic disease of the bones YAY! What I do have however is a kidney stone, a diffused infiltration of fatty liver (yuk - what can I do about that?), and my gallbladder may be on the fritz LOL - Nice huh? I'd take those over Mets any day. Thank you all so much for your support and I'm going to KEEP ON LIVIN'! Sandra

[KDR]

Great news, Greenacres! Just keep on living! Doesn't everything else seem small in comparison?

Warmly,
Karen

[Kellennea]

That is GREAT news! Yay!!

[dawny]

Fantastic news Greenacres! I had my gall bladder removed some years ago, it wasn't a big deal. Having no mets is a big deal!!!
Dawn

[adelay]

Yippee...great news~

[caya]

Hip Hip Hooray, Greenacres!!

Yup, a kidney stone etc. is A-okay!!

all the best
caya

[Pray]

I'm so happy for you!

[NEDenise]

Yay for you!
"Keep on livin" sounds like good words to live by!
Stay strong!
Denise

[greenacres]

Well, I finally followed up with my primary doc last week and he sent me for an ultrasound which I had last Friday. I am meeting with a surgeon on the 8th of November for a surgical consult to have my gallbladder removed. Turns out I have a stone or stones in there so that's next on my agenda. Otherwise, "livin and lovin life! : ) HOpe all is well with everyone else!

Does anyone know what the recuperation time for someone with a desk job to be off for this type of surgery? I guess I'll find out on the 8th :) Thanks!

[tricia keegan]

I'm so pleased for your good news on no mets Greenacres, I agree the pain from gall or kidney stones is the worst and I had my gall bladder removed a year before my dx. I did feel quite a lot of pain after the op, especially trying to sit up and overall it took me a fortnight to feel well enough to return to work. My hubby had kidney stones which are agonizing too and they were able to blast them with a lazer type treatment, good luck and its possible my experience was unique and yours could be far easier!

[carlatte7]

I was back to work in a week...but i didnt have painful gallstone symptoms before. I had "digestive trouble" and US confirmed a stone. Surgery was scheduled 2 months out for my convenience. After everything you've been through, this will be a piece of cake! Blessings to you.

[greenacres]

I also had no idea that gallbladder stones could cause pain in your scapula - I've been having pain there for months. I honestly thought it was remnant pain from having my port in/out. It's horrible pain and I just shrugged it off thinking my vein had to heal or something. NOW it's all making sense! I'll be glad to get this dang thing out now! :) Surgery consult is next Thursday. Thanks ladies for all your help and knowledge. I just hope they can do it laprascopically and not have to cut my abdomen open (again) as I had bladder surgery in 2006 and THAT was painful. Have a great day!
Sandra

[Jackie07]

Here's link with tips from Livestrong:

http://www.livestrong.com/gallbladder-surgery-recovery/