Great news for my cousin

[catwoman]

I had posted a request awhile back for prayers for my cousin, Donna, who lives in Spring, just north of Houston TX.
She had been having some abdominal pain and her PCP or internist ordered an abdominal CT scan. Got a call from her PCP's office that said the report found a malignancy -- 6 or 9mm -- on the liver.
She was devastated -- cancer does run in our family.
She was referred to one GI doc, but found another she'd used once for a colonoscopy. After several more CT scans, an MRI and endoscopy, the GI concludes that the problem is a hemangioma, a benign condition. And that she has the beginnings of an ulcer. Gave her an antibiotic Rx for the ulcer. Told her he wants to do another scan or MRI in 3-6MO.

Donna is furious with her PCP's office -- furious at how the initial report was handled -- getting news like that over the phone from some office employee instead of the doctor calling and perhaps hedging by saying, "There appears to be something suspicious and we'd like to do some some more test to check out a few things."
She's changing PCP's and is sending the doctor a letter to explain why.

At any rate, our family is ecstatic! Thank you for your prayers.

 

[Ross]

2 pieces of good news today! Keep em coming.

 

[Wise]

That's wonderful. Good for your family!

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

That is great news!

That is great news!

Hooray for your cousin! This hits so close to home as I just went through this. While having a CT scan on my bladder and kidneys they found 4 small lesions on my liver! Oh crap! I wasn't even worried about my liver at the time. They send me for an abdominal ultrasound which confirms the spots and they refer me to a general surgeon. I'm thinking I'm going to have a liver biopsy and that it has to be cancer. The surgeon looks at the 2 test reports and asks me to get an MRI. After he looks at the MRI he calls me right away to say it is not cancer, it is focal nodular hyperplasia. This is non-cancer nodules of liver cells brought about by long term use of birth control. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would screw up my liver with birth control - I guess it is the estrogen in them. Anyway, anyone know of a good vasectomy surgeon?! I do have a hemangioma on my liver, too. But wonder if your cousin is on birth control?

 

[bvdr]

Wonderful, wonderful news! I couldn't be more pleased. I reminds me of Ann's surgery and how happy we all were when no cancer was found. What a relief!

 

[hensylee]

Wonderful, wonderful news! I couldn't be more pleased. I reminds me of Ann's surgery and how happy we all were when no cancer was found. What a relief!

Betty, I was just ready to reply and I found your post.

2 yrs ago, a large MASS was found on my kidney. My local dr told me how sorry he was to find it; sent me to a kidney dr, who also said how sorry he was for me. They both indicated cancer was there and gave me condolences. I went on a kidney cancer site, got condolences/support and you wouldn't believe the wonderful support and sympathy I got here in VR. But I told both doctors I didn't have cancer. Turns out it was a very large mass; not on the kidneys; not cancer. It seemed reasonable to me that if it was cancer I would have some cancer symptoms; i.e. weight loss, skin color change, pain, etc. None of that. It wasn't even on the kidney; it was on the adrenal gland (close, I guess). But it WAS large.

My dr never, ever tells me anything over the phone - well, one time the nurse called and said all was fine, when it was a minor test of some sort - iron or something like that. He always has me come in. That's scary, too. So either way, if you get surprising health news, you still have to go talk to the dr about it and while you wait for your appointment, you are going to be scared. I was very apprehensive in the couple days I had to wait because they only told me to come in and that the dr wanted to discuss my 'tests'. If you really like your doctor, you might consider sticking as a patient. The dr probably doesn't have a clue that one of the staff said that to you and would no doubt have a fit if/when it becomes known. When the dr gets your letter the staff member will be taken to task and re-educated, along with all of the staff. It most likely will never happen again to any patients in that office.