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Having another procedure
I'm still dealing a little with coughing up blood -- even though it hasn't happened in just over two weeks -- and as a result I'm scheduled Thursday for what I think is an angiography.
It seem that the soure of the intermittent bleeding has been found --a bulge in a vein in the lung near the RFA area -- and it's going to be embolized.
I had been going along taking my antifungal infection medication for the aspergillus (mold) infection in my lung and then about a month ago started to cough up small amounts of blood again every day for about a week.
The interventional radiologist who did the lung RFA last August wanted to insert in an ambulatory procedure the medication directly into the cavity in my lung caused by the RFA, but in preparation a CT scan Saturday showed that the cavity had naturally closed up on its own. He said there's now no place to put the meds. However, he did see a bulge in one of the veins in the RFA area of my lung which is probably the source of the bleeding (he likened it to a tire with a bulge in it). The bulge is caused by a weakening of the vein wall. He consulted with two pulmonolgists and a thorasic surgeon, as well.
The good news is that there is still no sign of cancer in the lung. Also, it seems that the inflammation went down since I've been taking the meds for the aspergillus, and allowed a clearer picture that showed the problematic vein.
RFA causes a cavity where the tumor is ablated, which fungus/mold and bacteria can colonize. However, I don't believe this is normally the case. But I think I developed the infection after taking Decadron for four week post brain surgery, which was only two months after the RFA. Decadron use can lead to fungal infections like in the perfect storm and, in my case, the lung area was probably still healing.
I'm very nervous about the procedure. The IR guy called me on Friday to switch procedures, and the angiography requires a one-night stay in the hospital.
Also, I have very little information about the procedure other than I think they insert a tube in my leg vein and go through the body to the area in the lung.
Hopefully between the meds and the procedure I won't have to deal with the coughing stuff anymore.
Joan
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Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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