Bone scan and additional views

When I had my pre-chemo, baseline bone scan, the radiologist just happened to be in the room talking to the tech and watching the image on the screen. He asked for additional shots of my head, which of course freaked me out. Apparently, he noticed a couple of anomolies. One was the bones near my sinuses were spongy, which is due to having sinus trouble all of my life. The other - one of the plates of my skull fused oddly when I was a baby.

Later that day, the receptionist called me and said they wanted me to come back the next day for another scan. I just about came unglued. Turns out, there was too much fluid in my bladder, and it didn't give them a clear image of my pelvic area. Everything turned out fine. Except I do have a few areas of arthritis, which my onc says is natural for a 50-year-old and which I don't feel anyway. But, boy, I sure sweated bullets for a few days!

It sounds like they're just being thorough. I've found, during a year's worth of treatment, that tests, imaging, and drugs aren't exact sciences, and doctors don't know everything (which the good ones will admit).

Hi, Nash,

I'm in La Mesa. My mother had breast cancer, too, and died of it when I was 10. I understand how that can add yet another dimension of panic to an already scary situation.

I'm betting that it's just a change of facilities. My insurance is with Kaiser, and I've found that one facility will do things one way and another has its own method. You do seem young to have arthritis and degenerative disease, but I have known several 45-year-olds with severe arthritis, so it's not unheard of. I've had some odd things turn up on scans (the skull plate being the strangest), and my onc said they were all things I would have gone my whole life not knowing they were there had I not had scans for cancer!

I have had addl views at a new facility.....and then the tech asked me if I had brought the last write up on the previous bone scan since it was done at another facility.... I told her no but that the report was negative...with no findings......she said "really?"  Talk about freaking out...... I left there in tears....called my husband.....who callled the facility and told them we wanted an immediate read due to her comment so that I didn't worry about it all weekend..... it was a jewish holiday and all the doctors had left for the day......my husband got them to get one back in......

the findings......nothing....still clear.
Scans are just scary.... I hate them.

Jacqueline

Hi Nash,  I have no experience to share here, but I wanted to say I'm sitting on the sidelines with my fingers crossed.  Scans are very stressful!  G.

OMG!!!!!!  HOOOOOORAY!!!!!!!!!