Results from CT scan

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Hi

I am wanting to know what I might expect from my CT scan which is tomorrow.  I have been on Immunotherapy and Chemo for 4 cycles and have 4 cycles to go. Has anyone else passed this stage?  I want to prepare myself to know what the likelyhood of the tumor having stayed the same or shrunk?  Or is it more likely that the cancer will have spread?   I am increasingly in more pain daily which frightens me that despite my positivity.  Pain to me equall trouble.

  • Zita.

    You are not being silly thinking that way.  Yes it is very easy when you are in pain to think that it means your cancer is worse.  But that is not always the case.

    As with my CT scan back in May, after my 4th cycle. We went in fearful to the consultant and came out relieved.  One node was no longer visible and the gall bladder area had not grown and the other the radiologist said  the cancer was stable and it wasnok to continue with treatment. Dispite the pain I had been experiencing. 

    Anyway, if you are still in pain  get the slow release morphine and up the dosage. Of the oramorph. Regularly.

  • Hi Zita

    I got my CT results, and as I have been trying to stay positive the good news it has not spread to bladder or bowels. Which is where my pain is. Treatment will recommence next week. Consultant still in holiday until the 5th so treatment might change after he comes back as the bad news is, there has been disease progression, as they call it, in the para aorta  region.   So not good. However, we don't and won't have all the facts from the consultant yet, so we  have to wait.  At least we know some of it. We fight on. I will get on top of this. 

  • Hi Wee Scots Lady, 

    Im happy to hear that it hasn't spread to your bladder or bowels, I suppose that you won't know the full picture untill you have a proper consultation.

    Stay optimistic if you can. I don't think that I can do another does of Chemo at the moment, I have never felt this bad before, not even sure if I can make the scan on Tuesday.

    Feel like giving up at the moment, two and a half weeks of continues pain on my right side.

    Its also having no appetite and energy to even want to move around.

    I get up in the morning then on the sofa all day, no way to live a life. I was quite optimistic starting the new Chemo, now I am not so sure.

    Seems like its all hit and miss to me.

    Let me know how you get on when you have a full picture.

    Zita x

  • Oh Zita,  I know, it's no fun.  I had two weeks of excruciating pain when Äş got up to move about so know exactly where you are coming from.  With me I think that was backed up bowels as morphine make s you constipated ( and that doesn't have to mean  hard and not going). That pain got sorted but since then I am having pain in my bladder area (it could be referred)  but also up in my liver area. Daily and increasingly worse. I will now list what I am doing and am on in case there might be something you can add in to help you.  Paracetamol every 6 hours. Slow release morphine 10g twice a day. Regular oramorph approx 4hrly 5ml totaling 20ml a day. Hot water bottle at my back or lower stomach which ever is more comforting.You must also take something like cosmocol to ensure you are not constipated.  To get the energy, you must have protein  with every meal. ( are you on digestive enzymes?)  When I am in pain  I have no appetite but find soup will go down more easily. I also have a high quality plant protein shake 2xtbsp in 300ml of almond milk.  Normally once a day but when not eating much of anything else 2 drinks. On Monday I am about to ask my GP about upping my morphine as I think my body is becoming tolerant to it.  I hope you too can reach out to your cancer care unit, pilgrims hospice (if you have been referred) or GP to get the pain  under control, for as you say there is no quality in being like this.  Also I write down an affirmation daily and keep repeating that to myself.  Replace fear with gratitude. Find one small thing daily to be grateful for.  We are What have you got a passion for ? I have found going back to knitting,  and I am knitting something very tricky which takes my focus away from my body.  Find funny things to watch, I don't know your age but my husband and I watch Morecombe and Wise the other evening. It was good to laugh.   Anyway, we will talk again and yes I will update you when I have the full picture and do let me know how you get on with the CT, it is best to have it for even if the results are not what we want to hear, knowing is better than not,k for then  you live with fear and cancer feeds off negativity.  "I may be little,  but I am fierce".  

    Good luck, I hope something from what I have said helps.