The waiting game

[tandy24]

Is it just me or has anyone else gone crazy with worry waiting for their CAT scan results?
I had my CAT scan on Friday morning and my doctor appt. is not till the 16th. I asked the tech how long will it take to get results and she said 24-48 hours, so I am going to call my onco. tomorrow afternoon. I can not sleep and I am the type that eats when I am stressed so needless to say I am eating 24/7. This is just torture!!!
This is my first scan after dx then chemo, radiaion, surgery, and than 5 months of more chemo.
Will the nurse at the onco. give me the results over the phone?

[PGLGreg]

Will the nurse at the onco. give me the results over the phone?

Possibly, but the nurse might not like to be responsible for interpreting the radiologist's jargon for you. I stop by my oncologist's clinic the next day after a scan or blood test and ask the staff for a copy of the report, which they've always been willing to give me.

[nodo]

Some doctors offices will, but some don't. So, don't read anything into it if the nurse will not tell you. I have always had doctor that have been good about giving the info over the phone. I have also asked for the doctor to fax the report to me before when I have been unclear of what they were saying. As long as the report is signed, they have always sent it very willingly. Good luck! The waiting is very difficult and it's so hard to wait when you know that they have the results.

[missjv]

hi,
well stop doing that to yourself you are fine! stress is not good. make youself an appointment and go get a massage. i know your scared and it sucks, i am trying to not stress myself after being stage 4 i have had 2 clean scans so far but i do still worry that the shit will come back but we do everything we can to make that not happen thats all we can do. instead of eating go take a walk it helps me feel somewhat better. as time goes on i guess these scans will just be a routine thing that we have to do and we won't stress over them anymore.

missjv

[Guest]

We get a copy of the scan on CD before we leave the facility (not that I could read it but I do look at it). Then we call the scan facility and get them to fax us the report the next day.

My husband and I both are the type that like to have our bad news in private and have time to process it so that has worked out really well for us. Plus I have time to do a little research and come up with questions we would like answered when we do see the onc.

MA

[tandy24]

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for the words of advice. I know I say this almost everytime I post but I love this site and the people here.
I got my results back....long story on that. I will spare you, to make a long story short a nurse had to give me the results because my doctor is on vacation and the P.A. was off.
She said to her everything looks good.
Here is what the imprssion reads on the CAT scan:
for CT chest
no significant change is noted since previous study. No evidence of lymphadenopathy or pulmonary metastasis.
CT of abdomen and pelvis with contrast:
No liver metastasis or lymphadenopathy is noted.
there is still partial calcification of the wall of the allbladder with slight thickening of the gallbladder wall in the region of the fundus.
the large mass in the region of the rectosigmoid portion of the colon was resected. No gross residuall mass or evidence or lymphadenopathy.
Left renal cyst remailns stable.
I hope the when the doctor looks it all over he does not find anything.

[Guest]

You have several items on the CT that sounds familiar.

My husband has had a cyst on his left kidney noted on every scan (stable) for over 2 years now.

He also has had the same thing noted on the fundus of gallbladder whatever that is on every scan as a "rounded soft density". The surgeon went and looked it up on his last surgery and it is basically like a cap on his gallbladder - a deformity.

Not that I know what I am talking about, but your scan sounds pretty good to me.

MA

[nodo]

Tandy24 - Congratulations on your results!!! I am so happy for you. It's interesting to read those reports and all the little things they note. I learned not to worry about all of it. I was so sick when I was first diagnosed. I was in the hospital for one month and had multiple CTs and two open abdominal surgeries. It was interesting later to go back and read those. I had bumps, nodules, cysts, etc... noted on almost every one of them, but the primary reading was no evidence of recurrence. None of those other things ever have turned out to be anything related to cancer. Keep us posted on what the doctor says, but it sounds like it couldn't be better! Very happy for you.