Good News and Then...

July 7, 2009 — The results of the PET scan were revealed to me somewhat yesterday by my PCM. The bottom line is that it showed no other abnormalities in my body from my head to my knees and that is a good thing. In the opinion of the radiologist reading the images the three nodules in my lungs are too small for adequate PET scan analysis. Hmmm, what does that mean? Well to the uneducated such as myself, it means I still don't know if those are benign or malignant. My PCM carefully detailed for me the risk in doing a lung needle biopsy and in his opinion, and he admitted this is not his area of expertise, the risk outweigh the gains at this stage. The scan results recommended continued CT scans to monitor the nodules on about a 2-month basis. Now wait a minute, while I already have admitted that I am not the smartest rock in the pile, small nodules mean to me that they just started appearing and if they were malignant then it would seem reasonable that they would be in an early stage. That then means to me that early detection improves chances for cure or remission. You can read about that sort of thing on the web and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand it. So, my PCM then talked to my pulmonologist at the VA. The VA Dr then called me and left a message for me to call her so she could explain what all this means to her. I'll be doing that today. In the meantime I am seeking a second opinion from a pulmonologist outside the VA and that is being setup.

Holy shit Batman! While reading the PET scan results writeup yesterday afternoon at home I came across an addendum to the PET scan report by the radiologist that noted that I have an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (Google it) that measures 4.5 to 4.9 cm in transverse diameter. Again with reference to my rock status, that can be and is serious stuff. Curiously my PCM never mentioned this in my talk with him yesterday. I will not leave that part of the report unchallenged!

My daughter thinks I am being a bit negative about all of this. But if I do not challenge, then I am doing myself and my family a great disservice. I happen to think that is the correct and positive approach to take. That is what really matters!