A surprise on my CT scan
On January 24th my surgeon requested that I get a CT scan. He really did not want to take out my lymph nodes so he thought that if my lymph nodes showed up as the exact same size as they were in the original CT scan last August, he could do the mastectomy and not put me through the nerve pain and possible arm swelling. So I got a CT scan that was otherwise would not have been scheduled. Today I saw my doctor for a follow up and the CT scan could be a game changer. It showed two things.The CT scan showed that the lymph nodes had no enlargement, which means that the chemotherapy worked well on the nodes as they were originally slightly enlarged. Normally that would mean that the surgeon needs to go ahead and remove the lymph nodes as a smaller size shows they were right to believe the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under my arm. But there was something else that showed up on the CT scan that may change everything. The report found “several regions of slight sclerosis at vertebral body and including D 3 and D 11”. Today my doctor told me that it is his best guess that this is a spread of the cancer to my spine. He has requested that I have a bone scan tomorrow (Tuesday) and then see him again on Wednesday for the results. The bone scan will either confirm the spread of cancer or take away our fears. If the cancer has spread, it will take a miracle for me to have a cure since breast cancer that has spread to a distant site is not curable. If you remember me in your prayers, please pray that the areas that they found on my spine will not show up on the bone scan as cancer and that my treatment can go ahead as planned. In cases where the cancer has spread to the bones, the removal of the lymph nodes may be unnecessary, and the doctors would have to decide on whether a mastectomy would be helpful at this time. I am in God’s hands and while I may be surprised what was found on the CT scan, God was not. He is still Sovereign and in control, and I bow to His will for me.
17 thoughts on “A surprise on my CT scan”
Oh, Cheryl, this has been quite the journey for you, hasn’t it? One thing is for sure, you are keeping us all on our knees, which is a good place for us to be…closer to the Lord…but we sure will pray that the cancer has not spread. I have had a couple of scares like that before…one on a brain MRI…and it turned out to be something else entirely, so let’s pray that’s the case with this one.
May you derive the greatest comfort from Jesus..
With man, many things are not possible. With God, all things are possible. Do you mean T, not D? (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral-coccyx). Perhaps you are special with a D-spine? 🙂
Mrs. Schatz, our family prays for your healing everyday. Praying for peace tomorrow and good news on Wednesday! May He give you peace each day. In Him, Chelsea & Craig Kalvin
Stefanie,
Thank you so much for being on your knees in my time of need. I really appreciate and need the prayer during these difficult days. Thank you also for the encouragement that tests are not infallible and doctors can be wrong. Two other people shared similar stories with me this evening and I feel like I am flying high tonight. The stories are real faith-builders for me!
godrulz37,
The doctor who interpreted the CT scan wrote it as D and it was typed so no mistake, unless it was on his part. The internist showed us on the picture of the backbone where the two areas are: midway down the backbone and third bone down from the neck. Maybe BC has a different naming system, I don’t know, but that is how it was listed. My doctor punched me pretty hard on my spine and no pain at all, so whatever it is, whether the doctor is right or not, it is early stage of something. Maybe just old age?? I guess we will find out if the bone scan can pick it out without having to do a biopsy.
Chelsea and Craig, so good to hear from you and thank you for praying for my healing every day. I am in awe of your care! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Ah, neck is cervical and mid-back is thoracic. Here is where D comes in as a classification system (D is not bad): A indicates a “complete” spinal cord injury where no motor or sensory function is preserved in the sacral segments S4-S5.
B indicates an “incomplete” spinal cord injury where sensory but not motor function is preserved below the neurological level and includes the sacral segments S4-S5. This is typically a transient phase and if the person recovers any motor function below the neurological level, that person essentially becomes a motor incomplete, i.e. ASIA C or D.
C indicates an “incomplete” spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved below the neurological level and more than half of key muscles below the neurological level have a muscle grade of less than 3, which indicates active movement with full range of motion against gravity.
D indicates an “incomplete” spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved below the neurological level and at least half of the key muscles below the neurological level have a muscle grade of 3 or more.
E indicates “normal” where motor and sensory scores are normal. Note that it is possible to have spinal cord injury and neurological deficits with completely normal motor and sensory scores.[4]
godrulz37,
You may be right. I don’t understand the differences in terminology. Perhaps there is also a difference in English terminology like UK version and the American version. I found this picture of the spine that is listed with the D numbers and D 3 and D 11 are where the Internist showed us where the spots are listed. http://www.anatomyatlases.org/AnatomicVariants/NervousSystem/Images/30.shtml
Or perhaps the doctors just list things differently to confuse newbies like me who want to know everything about their own disease?? I am just confused.
Ah, dorsal (that actually refers to the whole back surface/posterior…usually used of dolphins, etc.). Thoracic is the chest area. Could be British, but not standard here at all.
Well, here in BC, we may be very unique. Your comment about the dolphins made me chuckle. It gave me a whole other picture in my mind. I still have my sense of humour in tact.
…it is good that you are sharing your sense of humour! It is impossible for me to be on my knees, however I do pray for you whenever I see that glorious face of yours shine before me. You are a courageous woman Cheryl and much loved.
Cheryl, I was alerted to this by a friend. I am praying for you, your family and your doctors. Your teaching on women in ministry changed my life and gave me confidence to be who I am In HIM.
Cheryl your courage, and faith are great, and since we have a Great God I will join with you as before asking God to touch you and bring renewed health, and strength to you with no spread of cancer.
mcshanes2013,
Wow, I don’t deserve your gracious words, but I thank you for such kind thoughts. Thank you for walking with me on this path as I walk through a lot of uncertainty.
Lydia,
I am humbled by what you have shared. Helping women to be released to be all that they were created to be in Christ has been a passion of mine and I am so grateful that I could be a help to you! It is an honor for me to have served you and thank you for sharing.
Thank you Diane for agreeing with me in prayer. I do want a renewal, a bringing back what has been taken from me in the last 6 months. I want health and strength and freedom to serve. Whatever happens, I know that I am in His hands. They are caring and compassionate hands so I wait on Him as I learn what is the next step for me.
I am blessed to have been given the opportunity and join you on this journey.