Quick question about jewellery and CT scan

all I can do is offer you love and hugs.  You must be so overwhelmed.  We are all here for you and i hope our words help and comfort you.

Xxx

Thank you both for the reply. It's been a tough week - sorry I haven't posted before now. I just don't know what to say - I keep reassuring myself with statistics and trying to think of practical things. I just don't know what I should be doing. I feel like I've had this news dropped on me, given a folder full of phone numbers and end of life plans and then left to get on with it. No support. Nobody to talk to or tell me what to do next. 

I'm seeing the oncologist on the 11th Feb and I just want to get started with that so I can feel I'm actively fighting it instead of treating it with nothing more than painkillers and hot water bottles. It feels wrong to me to be sitting doing nothing - I like to get stuff sorted as soon as it arises so I can relax and merely changing my diet to include green tea and healthy stuff doesn't seem enough. 

I've seen my own GP - she's read the letter from the hospital and it appears to be three spots in my liver. That doesn't sound terrible or imminent, but still. My poor husband keeps thinking it's imminent - to be fair the way the consultant told us, it seemed I would be lucky to make it to the bus stop. He just said "it's spread throughout your body to your liver. I'm very sorry" and that was it. It took my own GP to actually tell me the extent.  Poor husband keeps jumping every time I cough or sneeze and asking if I'm ok. Poor thing is in a proper state. :( 

I just don't know what I'm supposed to be doing now, There doesn't seem to be any instructions on what to do. Does that make sense? 

I keep looking at the different groups here and thinking "which do I join"? Secondary? Under 50? I dunno. I keep stressing about the littlest things like that and ignoring the big. I suppose that's a normal reaction but still. It's strange to me to be like that. 

Anyway - sorry for rambling and thanks again for the posts. 

Moocoo…….I am following your thread and am sad that you don`t seem to have a " plan " ( or am I missing something ) ?

As I said before , as soon as my liver mets were confirmed on CT there was a plan to start chemo / have more scans / blood tests etc …..and for the first 4 doses I was also seen by a Dr the day before the chemo .   A few small spots does not sound a lot to me ( my OPINION  only ) …..I hope you do have another onco appointment / plan.....if not , perhaps you should ask for one , this needs sorting out in a way you can understand …….there are many treatments available . Please be proactive about your own health and get some sense from someone you trust . Best wishes and let us know how you get on …….we have walked in your shoes    x

Sorry, I've just reread my post and I wasn't very clear. I am seeing the oncologist on 11th Feb. I could have had an appointment on the 9th of Feb but that would have been with my original oncologist from 14 years ago and I really did not like her.

I'm a little surprised by how long away that seems to be but there's not much I can do about it. I think of their delay and keep veering between it being ages away because "she's not that bad and can afford to wait" and "nothing to be done so why rush?"  I would have expected/liked to see the oncologist then and there or the next day. 

By "plan" I meant what do *I* do. I've made a will, looked into making (can't remember the name - my mum had one - it gave me and my aunt responsibility/authority to speak/act for her if she wasn't able)

I've looked at antioxidant foods and begun incorporating them into my diet and got it into my head that painkillers and antiinflammatories will put more strain on my liver so I've cut down on those where I'm able but I don't know what else to do. I actually don't even really know what I meant - just that it feels wrong to be sitting here with no help/support/intervention/contact from anyone.

Thanks so much for your reply. Just knowing someone is "listening" helps.

No one medical but lots of people sat worrying too,; lots of hands of friendship and supportive comments from everyone here.

I think you mean Power of Attorney.

Great you are thinking of diet and pain meds. Think about things that will occupy your mind - filling the freezer with wholesome foods like good soup, finding a couple of good books in charity shops. That one is a double whammy as you get out and help others too. De-clutter a cupboard and have a giggle at the dates on some of the foods you've stored. My best one was 2003. And post here on this thread someone will be along and chat

Be gentle with yourself at this tough and confusing time

Leolady56

Hi sorry not seen your post sooner not been online much this week.

You say you don't know which group to post in?? well i can tell you now that everyone here will welcome you with open arms, they're a fantastic bunch and will help and support you every step of the way.

You don't know what to post, doesn't matter what you post the main point is that you're getting it off your chest and hopefully it makes you feel better. I can waffle like the best of them and have sometimes posted stuff and it's made no sense at all, but it helped ranting, moaning, waffling.

You may feel like you're waiting for things to move but have faith in your oncology team, have you thought of ringing your breast care nurse and speaking to her? she may be able to put your mind at rest a little or speak to your consultant for you and get you a earlier appointment. I know the last thing they want is for you to be worrying.

Keep posting, keep talking to us, and i wish you the best of luck xx

Thank you for the replies, again, Scriptfan and Leolady - they mean a lot. Just knowing someone is "listening"!

Well, I saw the oncologist yesterday and really liked him.  He said six rounds of Taxotere, starting next week and then hormone tablets forever.

He understood my concern with drugs being an extra strain on my liver and gave me morphine  instead of the various paracetamol-containing tablets I currently do my best to avoid taking. I was wary of taking it because - I dunno - morphine is a seriously strong drug and I still don't feel ill other than pain from the one lymph node in my neck. However, 5ml of that last night and I not only got to sleep without an hour's worth of trying to balance my arm on various pillows and cushions but I slept straight through until 6AM. I see how easy it is to get addicted to this stuff. 

 He (the oncologist) warned me that the Taxotere has a 4-6% chance of causing a blood clot. Now I'm worrying myself stupid about that. My mum died two years ago of a blood clot whilst undergoing chemo for lung cancer - admittedly she also had pneumonia, COPD and a serious tummy bug as well as being out of it on painkillers so she may well not have told the nurses of any additional pain or symptoms from the clot but still. It is now a major worry in my daft and slightly OCD mind. 

I still haven't told my dad - I'm an only child and he has recently lost his dad, two brothers and my mum to cancer so that's going to be hard news to break. Now he tells me they rang him up whilst he was on holiday and told him some blood test results means he has to go to the hospital ASAP for suspected colon cancer. He's been having some treatment for a while - not entirely sure what but it involved cameras up his bum - just enough information on its own to make me carefully swerve requesting any more details -  size-marking tattoos around some pre-cancerous lumps up there and the occasional burn-off of said lumps. He's 70 this year and although not frail, is not one for avoiding fry-ups and large, frequent measures of brandy so if he does have cancer, I dread to think how he will cope with chemotherapy and with only me trying to look after him whilst simultaneously keeping my own illness a secret. Oh well - I suppose it's just wait and see. I'm rambling again - sorry! 

It's still all a little surreal and I keep feeling like a fraud because apart from pain from the one lymph node and some really serious tiredness, I don't feel ill. 

Leolady56, your post about buying books from charity shops made me laugh so hard and when I read it to my husband, he visibly shuddered! I have around 4000 books lying around plus more still to collect from my dad's house. It did actually give me the idea to begin whittling them down though and palming some off on the charity stall in the hospital......just need to be able to dump them and run, not buy more! 

I'm sorry to bring up an old topic, but I'm also looking for an answer to the question, is it necessary to remove the rings during CT?

I'm sorry that you had to face this situation. No one should go through such trials alone. Remember that you can always share your thoughts with forum users. I am sure that someone will support you and listen to you.  You don't have to remove the rings during CT. It is forbidden to wear metal during MRI since the rays pass through the whole thing. However, CT focuses on one area of the body and does not affect others. Once I had a CT scan with mood ring colors, and the doctor didn't tell me anything.  Although the new equipment may have new requirements; talk to your doctor.

As for your question about wearing your wedding and engagement rings during the CT scan, it's a valid concern. In most cases, for imaging procedures like a CT scan, it's recommended to remove all jewelry to ensure accurate results and prevent any potential interference with the imaging.