PET Scan Tomorrow

[CoolBreeze]

October 2010, I had the left lobe of the liver resected and a spot in the right lobe ablated by a major cancer center in San Francisco. At my last scan, in my home of Sacramento, the rads people saw cancer growing back in the ablated part. But, the San Francisco doctor disagreed - he said that it looked okay to him and it was possible that the Sacramento people didn't know how to read the ablated area.

He wanted to rescan immediately but my insurance company made me wait six weeks.

To be safe I've been on Abraxane. Tomorrow, I get my scan (in San Francisco) that will determine if it's cancer or not.

Wish me luck!

As always, I'm quite nervous. I do not feel good and so am concerned. Hopefully, my feeling bad is unrelated.

[KDR]

You've been through a lot. And you have a lot of change going on in your life. Now the stress of scans and possible progression. It's hard to feel good, but try. Really try.
You've put in a lot of effort in this fight, so keep going. You will be victorious.

Karen

[NEDenise]

Oh Ann!
I'll have my fingers and my toes crossed for you!
I soooooo hope you get the best news possible! You've had a rough time lately, and you're due to have something turn out your way!
Sending a warm hug through cyberspace (which is not easy to do when your fingers and toes are all crossed!)

Best of luck tomorrow!
Denise

[Sheila]

Will keep you in my prayers and thoughts that the scan will show no new areas of concern, and that you start to feel better....you have had a lot this year...give yourself time....wish there was a way to overcome fear at scan time...we all have it, guess its part of the journey.....stay positive!!!

[Laurel]

You got 'em, kiddo. Prayers for a clean scan and that your low feeling is simply from the stress of scaniety!

[Mtngrl]

I'm with you in spirit, Ann. You've been through so much.

[7andcounting]

Wishing you great news from your Pet scan!

[caya]

Sending good vibes to you Ann from Canada.
Praying for excellent scan results for you.
When will you have the results?

all the best
caya

[CoolBreeze]

Thanks everybody. I think all of us with mets have been through a lot, not just me.

I am going to work every day that I can, Karen, so I am trying to feel good. I have low red count which makes me tired and I keep having abdominal pain that I a) take pain meds for and then b) ignore. You can't make yourself feel good and you can't always make yourself get up and about, but on the days when I can, I try to ignore stuff like pain and enjoy myself.

It's very sad right now, saying good-bye to everybody at work. And, it's making me feel like a sick person, to have to give up my job. But, I was sick earlier this week - so sick I could barely lift my head, so that assured me that it's time. No more doubt. I am looking ahead to things I can do at home to be productive. I have made a plan and am not dreading it like I used to.

As for when I get the news, I should get it tomorrow. My doctor reads the scans himself and it'll be in the system immediately after. I'll have the PET at 11:00, see the doctor at 2:00 and he'll read it then. If it isn't clear to him he'll probably do a radiology consult so I may not know for sure but there would be no point in my seeing the doctor if I didn't have results. It's a 100 mile drive so they are pretty good about not wasting my time.

I sure hope I hear good news - NED. I'm not counting on it though.

[michka]

Ann, I hope your Pet will be good and that you will be Ned. Maybe it is the treatment that makes you feel bad so I hope you can soon drop the hard part and just stay on Herceptin. I'll be waiting for your next post. Michka

[JennyB]

Good luck Ann here's hoping it's good news for you xx

[Redwolf8812]

Prayers going up...

:-)

Penny

[chekmark]

I find that when I worry alot I just feel bad. I think I tell myself that there is something wrong and I feel bad. Stress will do that to you. Our minds are just on auto pilot and just go to that dark place. Good luck. I hope that all goes well for you. Leaving your job I know was a hard decision but think about all the fun things you can do now without the committment of going to work everyday. Your are my hero, I cant wait to retire. Maybe after some rest and relaxtion you will start to feel better and start doing more things and just enjoying every second. Can you volunteer some time at the school so that you can still connect with co workers? Keep us posted on the scan. We are all cheering for you. Prayers and positive thoughts. Darlene

[Bunty]

Sending lots of positive energy your way Ann.
Best wishes, Marie

[Joan M]

Ann,

Hang tight. I'm praying that your news will be good.

RFA procedures produce a lot of inflammation up to 6 months later (and it's been argued that this is a good immune response reaction). I had this in the lung when I had a 1 cm nodule ablated in 2008. As it turned out, a fungus had grown in the RFA cavity and it was eventually taken care of in 2009, but you don't need to worry about that for the liver. Also, if there is a small recurrence, it can be ablated again, which is one of the benefits of that procedure.

Local procedures followed by chemotherapy are going to start becoming more common for survivors with oliogometastases. At ASCO, these procedures were mentioned several times at different sessions, even though there are still many holdouts. These procedures were clearly listed in all the slides shown and discussed in the presentations.

Dr. Perez, whose video I posted a few days ago, spoke at a small group meeting at ASCO. She supports local procedures, "absolutely," she said, when I thanked her for that.

Dr. Perez is planning a trial where survivors will be randomized between getting systemic treatment alone versus getting a local procedure followed my systemic treatment.

I've been on Herceptin alone since January 2007 when my cancer advanced from stage II to stage IV (and took Herceptin off-label when I had early stage, deciding not to enroll in an adjuvant clinical trial). So, I'm still taking systemic treatment, even though it has never included chemo in the metastatic stage. I often wish that I had followed up the local procedures with chemo, but I didn't and now that's water over the dam. Also, anyway, who knows. I think in the final equation, there is no right answer: different procedures either work or don't work for different people.

I understand how you feel about leaving work, which I did almost 3 years ago. At first, it's a shock, but afterward you'll see how new opportunities will present that you never dreamed of. You seem to have a very good spirit.

Joan

[Ellie F]

Ann
Good luck for your scan.I can only echo what Joan has already said about work.As an ex workaholic with a senior position in a large organisation it took quite a long time to wind down and find new paths. Eventually though new directions do appear.
Ellie

[yanyan]

Hi Ann ! Sending you positive vibes for the scan !!!

[Vicki revised]

Ann:
Have been off boards and just saw your thread. Praying you got good news today.

[chrisy]

Ann, hang in there, and I hope the new scan clarifies things. Either no progression or a bit that escaped the respect and can be abated on it's own. I'm betting on no progression and that your sf doctor is right.

I'm also holding good thoughts for you as you transition into your new adventures. I'm sure that you are running the gamut of emotions. All will be well.
Chris

[greenacres]

Ann, I am thinking about you and praying for you. I hope you can post soon.

[sarah]

Ann you've been through so much, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and like everyone else, hoping for great, positive results.
As for work, you'll find new, interesting things to fill your life with. I was a workaholic and loved my work but now I love not working and I'm always busy.
all the best
hugs and love
sarah

[Pray]

Ann, you are in my thoughts and prayers I hope all is well.

[Mandamoo]

I just saw on Ann's twitter feed that "while there is not complete clarity it looks like I am NED" - great news!!! Let's hope it stays that way and you can recover fully from the C-Diff.
Amanda x

[NEDenise]

Yay!
What great news!
Thanks for posting it Amanda!
Denise

[KDR]

YES!!!


Karen

[chrisy]

Knew it!!,
Enjoy your weekend, cancer free!

[Redwolf8812]

Yay! God is good!

[michka]

What good news CB! Michka

[karen z]

Ann,
Thinking of you and sending prayers.
karen

[KsGal]

Praise the Lord...that is amazing news. You have worked so hard to get there! Im so happy for you.

[Pray]

I'm so happy for you! I pray you continue with ned!