Thursday, 18 July 2013

The Day after the Storm

After spending quite a long time on the RAMAC department, which actually is a good idea - you don't get admitted but are seen to and treated - we got the news.
 
The doctor did find out earlier I didn't have a Pulmonary embolism but wanted to make sure of his facts before he gave me the news.
 
The meso is the cause of my extended tummy, its called ascites which is fluid in the abdomen, also there is a new gathering of approx. 1 cm wide fluid between the heart and the heart sac and then the fluid that is in my right lung.  I really can feel that this morning, the thoughts of those terrible pains I went through are playing strong in the back of my memory.
 
I am now well and truly up the jungle without a paddle.  This stomach is not the way I envisaged my meso to go, yes I have been worried about it going there for a couple of months as I thought my stomach looked odd but thought and know are two separate things to deal with.  The conclusion to my ct report read
 
No evidence of pulmonary embolism.  There is however evidence of significant disease progression with increase in size and number of the intrapulmonary nodules, a pleural effusion and ascities. 
 
The doctor gave me a quick look at the scan and he measured the fluid around the pericardium for me as well as running up and down the lungs to show what was happening.  Although I personally didn't think the left lung looked any worse than the last scan I had seen, but I guess its the right now that is playing up.
 
The report was a summary rather than fully detailed so I have asked my gp to ask Dr Orr if he can do one of his revisions, after all he can only say No.  
 
What I also found interesting is my D-Dimer was raised, this is a blood test they carry out for PE's, maybe it could be used for meso?  Obviously it showed something was wrong and boy was it!
 
Well off to work for an hour, must sort that desk out and have just got an appointment through for my back man, tomorrow.  If I could get my back fixed then that's one problem down.  So annoying is that if my back had been ok these last months then I would have been healthy for most of the last 6 months! 
 
Hope the sun isn't wearing you all out, I wish I could stay in the garden and sit in it but as I don't know whether tomorrow I will feel better or worse I should go and tidy up what I left scattered around.

1 comment:

Anne H said...

I'm so sorry to hear your news Jan. I don't really know what to say but I always read your blog. I know it's your sounding board. Is the swollen tummy affecting the way you walk and therefore affecting your back? Just a thought, probably a silly one. How did you get the meso?