Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Looks like mets

This might be the first time I'm at a loss for words on this blog. So, I'll let my path report speak for me:

There has been interval (since December 10) development of a subtle ill-defined hypodense lesion within the right hepatic lobe. This lesion measures 2.8 x 2.4 cm in size. In the hepatic dome in the lateral left hepatic lobe there is a new hypodense lesion which measures 2.0 x 2.0 cm in size.

(There are domes in your liver???)

Then there is a bunch of other stuff about my innards, all which are mostly normal - a cyst here, a misshapen uterus there....

Impression: Interval development of two ill-defined hepatic lesions measuring 2.4 and 2.0 cm. Although nonspecific these lesions are concerning for metastatic foci.

My oncologist said we have to assume they are cancer until proven otherwise. They are setting me up with a liver biopsy - I have the pre-op blood tests for it tomorrow. After that, we'll do a PET. If the only cancer is the two spots in my liver, than I'm "salvageable" which was his word.

Oh, don't get huffy, he's a good doctor and a nice person.

I am extremely nervous about this left-side pain now. It's been there for six months, and now that my shoulder doesn't hurt so much, I notice that it has gotten worse. That pain may mean I can't go to the salvage yard, and have to be crushed instead.

Considering these lesions were not there five months ago and are now 2 plus centimeters, I think the only logical assumption is that HER2 is doing its thing. I can still hope it's something I don't know about - something that grows quickly on the liver of cancer patients that isn't, you know, cancer.

But, I won't hold my breath.

31 comments:

  1. Hi Ann

    I was thinking of you today and sending you prayers this morning as you met with your oncologist.


    Continue to be brave as you WILL conquer and overcome this new hurdle...whatever the test results reveal !

    Kick ass ! Nicola

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  2. Thanks Nicola. I still intend to kick ass, and in stilettos too.

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  3. so sorry to hear this news, Ann, but I know you'll kick ass here too. Hang in there.

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  4. I'm praying for you, Ann. So very sorry that you must go through this!

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  5. Your passion for informing others, taking care of yourself and having such a supporting family has made reading your post such a pleasure. I know I will continue to read it for a very long time....your hard work with your doctor's help will shrink those tumors until you are once again cancer free. Sending big hugs......:-)

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  6. Good luck Ann. Sending good thoughts your way.

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  7. I'm not much with the praying, but my mom is and so, total hypocrite that I am, I have her praying for you. I told her to make sure that God knew which Ann it was, and to not accidentally pray for any Anne-with-an-e. :)

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  8. I'm so sorry that you had to have this news... I have mets to the liver too, but I got all the news at once, breast, liver, spine. I've only had 3 chemo treatments so far and am still so new to this journey. Just keep fighting sister and know you are not alone in all of this!!

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  9. "That pain may mean I can't go to the salvage yard, and have to be crushed instead." Oh Ann.
    Even with all the heaviness that line made me smile. You are such an incredible woman and I am honored to have gotten you know you virtually. Know that there are hundreds (thousands?) of fans our here, keeping golden thoughts of you going at all times.

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  10. You ARE going to get through this if it is mets, and that's even with your liver affected. I know you didn't want to hear that it might be mets, but if it is, I'm telling you that life goes on, and will for you. I got diagnosed with BC in Sept with mets to my liver, spine, ribs and uterus. This is not the end of my life - it appears my life has just begun. It took one hell of a detour, for one very odd reason, and I'm just going with the flow. At first I thought my life was over - was I ever wrong. Please check out foods that help with cancer - with mets, if you have them, the more ammunition you have, the better you are. And if your liver is affected - lots and lots of fresh lemons - they detoxify the liver. This is a hard diagnosis to digest, and one that no one would ever want, but honestly, I'm here to tell you it CAN be won, so please keep positive about it! And remember, doctors think in statistics - forget about the stats and instead do great things for your body, and the stats won't matter. They don't take into their statistics what someone's frame of mind is, how positive they are, how large a group of supporters they have backing them, how strong they are. None of that can be studied, to be part of the statistics, and that's the part that will make you win this fight. Please get in touch with me if I can answer any questions, anything like that. I'm no expert, but I have been there, and still am...and will continue to be!

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  11. Crap... this makes me sad for you as I remember reading a few months ago how excited you were to be rid of doctors and tests, and now you are back in the thick of it again. I'm sorry, and am praying for you and your family.

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  12. i feel like i know you...this news just makes me feel sick. :-(

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  13. Ann, You are so strong. Thank you for sharing your journey with us - you are in so many thoughts and prayers. About the lemons - you can freeze whole lemons, they are even jucier when thawed. Take care.............sweet lady.

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  14. Ann - I will be holding my breath for you. I will continue to think of other things that it can be other than cancer and send strong positive energy in your direction - On another note, I have met 'Conquering Cancer by Living Well' in person not too long ago, and let me tell you you'd never know she has mets. Her research into foods is quite extensive and she lives by it.

    I hope these are just some cysts or weird age spots on the inside of your liver - we won't know til all the biopsies come back. Stay strong!

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  15. Stilettos are awesome for kicking cancer to the curb - that's the spirit:)

    Will check back soon. Hugs,
    Jody

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  16. While I hate to hear this news, I have every reason to believe you will I deed kick ass. I'm going to keep on thinking anything but mets. Sending lots of love your way.

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  17. Ann, I hope and pray this will all just be much ado about nothing. Good luck with your pending tests. I'll be thinking of you. Ann

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  18. no words but praying my butt off for ya sister.

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  19. I''m sorry it seems that the other shoe has fallen now....but let's wait to see the final answer. I know, easier said than done. But we're all in the same boat and the best thing we can do is make the best of each day. Meanwhile, may I just say "crap!"?!! Keep us posted. Your support is tremendous out here and you mean very much to us, Ann with no e.

    mary

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  20. Damn! My prayers are with you. You will soldier on, I know......Betty

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  21. Hang in there, Ann. Hope it helps a little that there are many of us in your corner rooting for you.

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  22. ...still holding my breath.

    Thinking of you, Ann xo

    Gayle

    (trying to post as "anonymous" this time to see if blogger will allow me!)

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  23. I'm glad you could post, Gayle! And, thanks again everybody for your wonderful remarks. You all help me more than I help anybody else! The cancer blogging community is fantastic.

    Still no word on when the biopsy is but I'm pretty calm about this whole thing. I think I'm going to end up doing just what Carcinista did - fight and prepare. Histologically, I hope it's HER2+ because there are lots of good treatments for that.

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  24. Well, crap. I would have posted sooner but we were traveling and I had limited access to a computer. I am sorry to hear this but I am sending all sorts of good thoughts. Keep us posted on what is going on. Crap!

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  25. Even with your past history, I'm still in the camp that it's benign until absolutely proven differently. Shortly after my mother finished her cancer treatment, a nodule showed up in her lung. It appeared and grew to a relatively large size in between her regular chest x-rays, and had all the apparent signs of a metastasis. But, believe it or not, it turned out to be completely benign.

    A similar thing happened to me with my thyroid. Within about a year, I grew a nodule on my thyroid that my endocrinologist was convinced was cancerous; based on the ultrasound, it literally had every single characteristic of a malignant tumor. But, once again, a biopsy proved it to be benign.

    Of course there's a reasonable possibility that your liver nodules could be metastases and you should be prepared for that eventuality. Personally, though, after what happened with my mother, I'm never again going to assume it's cancer until after the biopsy.

    I just finished treatment for IDC in my left breast. I've been a big fan of your blog and it has helped me greatly. I'm sorry you're in limbo right now waiting for your biopsy and results, and I just wanted to offer you an alternative viewpoint.

    Good luck!

    Jamie Beth

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  26. I am so sad to hear this, Ann. It's not a club that anyone wants to join. Just the word 'biopsy' makes me shudder...I hope it was relatively pain and anxiety free. Keep us posted. Love to you.

    Shelli G.
    The Dirty Pink Underbelly

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  27. Hi Ann,
    Just found your blog from breastcancer.org post, and so glad I did. I have been exactly where you are and wanted to encourage you...I had 8 liver mets the size of yours and after 18months on T-DM1 they are all gone. You can read as much as you are interested in on my blog www.raisingsaints.blogspot.com. The journey has not been without drama, by any means, but I am alive and kicking and doing very, very well overall. T-DM1 was first line treatment for me, and it is still the only drug I have ever taken. In considering your options, think of a T-DM1 trial! Let me know if I can help you in any way.
    Suzanne

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  28. I think about you often and I'm hoping for good news.

    -Michelle

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  29. Ann, you have my emotional support, as well as that of the rest of the blogging community. I am hoping and praying for a good outcome.

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  30. Ann,

    I am so sorry to hear this news, but I am also confident that it's not going to slow you down for a second, and that you WILL beat it. Your blog has provided me with so much information and advanced warnings and explanations for what I am going through in my own journey with cancer, and I am so appreciative of your openness and honesty. Thank you for being you!!

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  31. Keep fighting Ann. I am thinking of you and wishing you well from Kettering, England. xx

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