"You have a lesion on your T5 ..."

Lanikaibabe

That's what I heard today; after I received a CAT scan to rule out a pulmonary embolism.   I'm scared.

 I was diagnosed with Triple Negative BC, Stage IIa in October 2011.  I went through a lumpectomy, chemo (AC and I found out I was highly allergic to Taxol); and then of course radiation.   All my treatments ended in July 2012.  In between chemo and radiation, I developed a blood clot in my leg that I'm taking Coumadin for.  Ok.  I'm dealing with that.  I'm also dealing with the neuropathy in my feet and the fleeting, stabbing shooting pain I get down my legs (especially at night).   I've always had back pain and I've been diagnosed with arthritis.  So having pain is the "norm" for me, right?

 I thought I was finally moving on with my life... hair growing back, vacation planned in a few weeks, planning on returning to work... all standard stuff until I heard those words today.  And now I'm back in this dark and very scary place.

 I went to the ER today, per doctor's orders -- I was experiencing pressure in my left lung and mild palpitations.  I thought it was pneumonia or bronchitis.   But he thought it could have been a PE.   After a LONG and tedious battle in the ER today (they couldn't access my port for the CAT -- found out it wasn't a power port!!)

 So the ER doctor came to me with that look.  You know the look.   Great news he said, you don't have a PE.  Yay.  Your heart is fine and your lungs look fine.   You don't have pnuemonia.  So here I'm thinking, great I can ditch this joint and go home... but he said... I did find a lesion on your T5 vertabrae.   That's when what he was telling me turned into blah blah blah blah as I fell down the slippery slope of oh no... I've mets'ed.

I'm scared to death.  He said it could be nothing (but deep down I know better or at least the cynic in me does).. and not to concern myself.  (He knew I am a BC patient).  He recommended I go see my doctor about it.   The only positive in all of this is that I have an appointment on Monday with my Medical Oncologist to go over a few things like my return to work notice, my port removal, etc.,... but now I'll have something more serious to speak with her about.  I have my report and my cd from the CAT scan.

I'm so scared......

LRM216

I feel your terror as I was there in your exact same spot last January.  I had a pelvic and abdominal CT with and without contrast for something totally unrelated to my triple neg breast cancer, and all was well, but they did find a small sclerotic lesion on the pedicle of my T12.  Both the gyno onc and my BC onc felt it would be nothing.  I was petrified, as you are now.  Had a bone scan that showed absolutely nothing at all.  The radiologist that read the CT said that he felt it would be nothing also, but with my history of BC - it had to be looked at further (hence the bone scan).  All have declared it just degenerative change and it's been 8 months and I still don't feel anything at all.  Just want you to take a deep breath and know that it's very possibly nothing cancer related - and I'm going to keep thinking that way for you too.  It's a horror having to endure all the things that go through our mind until we know for sure, but try to hang in there as best you can.  Remember, CTs and PETs will pick up absolutely everything in you - and we all have lots of things that we have no idea are in there - and most of them usually require nothing else be done.  Keep us posted, we are cyber hand-holding with you.

Linda

PS.  had to edit to add I felt as though I had written your post.  I had a terrible neuropathy reaction to my very first taxol (had AC & T also) and had to switch to three remaining taxoteres.  Also developed a deep vein clot in my left calf and was on coumadin and had to go for those god forsaken tests every 10 days or so to check on the numbers, in addition to having to do shots in my stomach.  Ugh!  Clot was gone after 6 months or so, but she kept me on the coumadin (or was it warfarin?) for another bunch of months.

Racy

I'm very sorry to hear you are going through this worry. It will seem a long time till Monday, I know.



Did you get a copy of the CT report?



I'm hoping your onc can give you some better news.



The ladies here will help you sort this out.

momof3boys

I'm sorry you're going thru this. You do have arthritis. I'm praying that is what he saw. Makes sense.....

evergreen9

I had a similar experience. Near the beginning of my journey with bc, I had been diagnosed stage 3a. I had had surgery but had not yet started chemo. The radiologist saw something on the top of my spine ln an MRI, and said it was Mets. So now I am stage 4! But the bone scan hadn't shown anything, so the oncologist ordered more close up views of my spine. Several weeks later a group of radiologists discuss all the results, and they decide it is not mets, just an abnormality. So I am 3a again. A follow-up PET scan confirmed there was no met.

So it is not a straightforward process. So try to relax, and know that even for experts, it is not always clear that it is or isn't cancer...

BrandyB

Similar thing happened to me. Scared the living crap out of me. Thankfully, it was only normal, age related disk degeneration. I'd get it checked out, but know that it's very possibly not cancer.