Hi everyone! I am new to this bored and could really use some advice. Last year my 83 yr. old grandmother was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. She had a complete radical hysterectomy. Lymph nodes/washings were negative for met. Stage 1b. No radiation needed. She has been followed up by her gyn and so far so good. Her gyn ordered a Ct scan 1 week ago to just follow up, since it had been a year since surgery. I get a phone call Monday..Ct scan not clear. I was told..thickening of the colon. She needs a PET. Go on Wed. for PET. call dr's office on thursday looking to talk to dr. never calls back. Friday am, Medical Assistant calls telling me that the results aren't back yet. Dr. didn't call back cause he was having a bad day!!!
Sorry this is a bit long. Anyway she proceeds to tell me that grandma needs a PET scan. Hello?? She just had it 2 days ago. Then she proceeds to tell me pancreatic cancer! WOW , what a blow. I told her what the hell was she talking about no one metnioned that to me when they called. She didn't even have the results in front of her! So i proceeded to go back and forth with her over the CT scan report, which i had right in front of me...It states"
"Stable degree of scarring w/in left base, No new air space disease or plueral effusion is seen. The liver is uniform in density. The pancreas is very fatty and there is within the peripancreatic area, an ill defined lobulated 1.3 cm density. There is another smaller density in the peripancreati head area. THis appears unchanged."
There is suspected milD thickening of colon partic. transverse segment. There is in addition, slight infiltration of the adjacent fat which may be relate to mild degree of colitis in appro. clinical context. Peritoneal carcinomatosis appears less likely and a PET may be of use in excluding distance metasasis. There is no acites. The urinary bladder is unremarkable. There is no bulke adenopathy.
Impression; mild colonic wall thickening, particulary transverse segmetn w'suspicion of infiltration of adjacent mesenteric fat. If acute, it could be changes of colitis. Peritoneal carcinomatosis could not be entirely excluded and a pe scan is suggested as next follow up.
impression; small nodularities surronding a very fatty pancreas. This other are acan also be further defined with a PET.
impression:OTherwise stable and negtive CT scan of abdomen an pelvis
I took these Ct scans to the dr's office where i work. Gave it to a PA and one of the smartest doctor's in the office. Both didn't seem to think it was a particulary bad report. Both agreed that they didn't seem to think pancratic cancer, as the report wasn't too specific in that regards. The dr. said he wouldn' thave gotten overly worried, he would have sent her to a GI dr.
Well..im freaking out over what that medical assistant said. I trust the DR i work for and the PA, but i keep looking stuff upon the internet and it is driving my crazy. I can barely sleep, eat, im crying, freaking out!
BTW..grandma is doing great. Had her bloodwork done 2 weeks ago. Everything normal, except her glucose was a little bit high (diabetic). She has been measuring w'in the last couple of days, it has gone back down to w/in normal limits. No symptoms whatsoever! I'm planning to go to PA school nextyear, so i have been monitoring her very carefully. Only intentional weight loss, b/c she has been lossing weight since her surgery on purpose!
HELP!!! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND WAITING IS KILLING ME!