Anyone know anything about blood tests?

SuziePA

Some background - I had a mastectomy and free flap reconstruction (right breast) for DCIS about 2 years ago.  My nodes were clean and although I had a microinvasion of IDC (<1mm), I did not have to have either chemo or radiation.  Good mammograms ever since.

Recently, I had been having some pain in my lower abdomen for about four weeks (no other symptoms at all) and I thought it might be my diverticulosis getting worse. My GP ordered some bloodwork and a CT scan.  I had the CT scan on Saturday where the technician said everything looked fine.  I got home from work on Monday and had two messages from my GP.  First was that there were nodules on my lungs and she wanted another CT scan; this time the chest.  Then another message that my blood work came back with high potassium (5.3), high CO2 (32.1) and high calcium (10.5) so she is ordering another round of bloodwork.

Belive me, Google is not your friend!  Everything I read points to cancer again.  I have to wait until next Thursday to have the CT scan and the additional bloodwork, but yikes, how can it be cancer when I don't have any other symptoms?  Although I felt great right before they told me I had breast cancer, too, so what do I know?

Anyway, looking at the CT  and blood test results, do I have real cause to worry?  I keep thinking that any one of those issues might be OK, but taken together, do I have lung cancer? I have never smoked and as I mentioned, have no other symptoms of being ill.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

bluepearl

It sounds like you have a metabolic disorder, not necessarly related to cancer. People get lung nodules from scar tissue from bronchitis, pneumonia etc. I don't know if you are on any blood pressure meds or other meds that can affect results either. Lower abdominal pain can point to kidney problems as would be related to the high levels of both potassium and calcium. People can get other disorders after breast cancer and I think yours is probably metabolic in some way...even thyroid, parathyroid, addison's disease etc. Wishing you something NOT serious though! BTW...I HATE seeing my doctor's number on my messaging machine.....crikey! don't we all!!!!!

fredntan

my browser won't let me copy and paste...

but the potassium could be related to the blood draw. read what it says if you google mayoclinic look at first cause. talks about the blood being damaged during blood draw.

and lots of people have nodules. scar tissue from brochitus etc.

what does your oncologist say?

shoppygirl

I have a lung nodule that they are watching. I am assuming that this is your first ever ct scan so that is why you did not know they were there. I have had countless people tell me that they are very common. Drs are not worried about it but i am!! Also lower abdomen pain could be irritated bowel. You do not always feel the pain in your bowel. I hate how cancer makes us crazy!!! Cant even have normal things wrong with us anymore!!! Good luck

SuziePA

Thank you all so much for your input. Not knowing what's wrong and waiting for more and more tests just brings back the worst memories.

I guess I'll know more next week. So far, I've only spoken to receptionists and technicians.



Wishing better days for us all.