Tag Archives: CT scan

Two years and clear!!!

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, Family, My Novel-It Takes A Village Store, Surgery, Writing November 21, 2014 Comments: 8

By Karen Whalen

Yesterday was my CT scan at DHMC marking my two-year anniversary from surgery for adrenal cortical cancer (ACC). It was clear–NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE! Exactly what I had hoped for and expected but, hey, you never know. The cancer can return at any time.

CT Scan Cocktail at DHMC

CT Scan Cocktail at DHMC

The visit would have been uneventful except for my allergic reaction to the contrast material injected during the CT scan. At the end of the scan, the radiology technician noticed that I was rubbing my lips and, when I admitted I was experiencing an itchy mouth and swollen lips, I was suddenly surrounded by several other medical professionals and whisked off to recovery. I immediately was given a Benadryl pill followed by an IV of prednisone. After over an hour in the recovery room, I was released to a scrumptious turkey dinner in the hospital cafeteria–the reason I like my appointments scheduled on Thursday!

Tyler at the Top of the Rock

Tyler at the Top of the Rock

Today is my oldest grandson’s birthday. Tyler turns thirteen today! We now have a teenager in the family. Joy and Paul are in for some interesting and exciting (and challenging??) times, if memory serves me correctly. (And that’s not something I can rely on these days.)

My niece, Sammie, is celebrating her birthday today as well. In my family, we have multiple overlapping birthdays.

The 50,000 word goal for NaNoWriMo is getting more and more elusive. I made it to 15,000 words after my 3,500 word marathon on Tuesday. With 35,000 words and only ten days left, including today, I will need to pump out another 3,500 words each day. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving falls in that time period, which we will be spending in Connecticut. I’d like to know who thought November was the right time for this awesome event? Wouldn’t January, with cold, snow, and thirty-one days have been a better choice? The good news is that no matter how many more words I am able to add during November, I have a good start on what I think may become a trilogy set in the town of Woodbury. It’s always good to have goals…..

I scanned the December issue of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine this morning. Big mistake. All of the holiday decorating, cooking, and entertaining in that one issue made me feel totally inadequate. Unless you want a reason to be depressed–don’t waste your time looking at any of the holiday magazines. Whatever you usually do for the holidays, I suggest you cut back and carve out more time for simple celebrations with your family. Less stress–more memories. And who doesn’t want that?

Home again

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, Mitotane, Uncategorized, Writing June 19, 2014 1 Comment
Sheffield's Pre-school graduation

Sheffield’s Pre-school graduation

I’ve been home almost a month now. And, like most New Englanders, I’ve spent most of that time focused on the weather–either complaining about it or planning my life around it. It seems as though we have fluctuated between winter and summer these past four weeks. Maybe that is what spring is in New Hampshire. Monday I was sitting out on the deck, trying to see my laptop screen in the bright sunshine. It was almost too hot to be outside and it wasn’t quite eleven a.m. The day before, for our Father’s Day celebration, it was too cold for most of the day to be outside.

The day after arriving home from Virginia, eighteen months to the day following my surgery for adrenal cancer, I visited DHMC for my three-month CT scan and doctors’ visits. Great news–still no evidence of disease!! My endocrinologist made some changes to my medication but other than that it was a routine visit. My mitotane level came back at the high end of the therapeutic range, which explains why I was feeling nauseous, so I took a mitotane holiday for the weekend and have cut back to just two pills a day for three weeks. Now I am back up to three a day in preparation for my blood tests and visit with my oncologist on Friday. It’s amazing how quickly four weeks go by.

And what have I accomplished in those four weeks? Without work as a gauge, it’s hard to quantify. I/we did get our brand new kitchen organized. I am working on a short story that was inspired by our month at Jennifer’s in Williamsburg. We have toiled in the yard to get it under control. Snails and bugs have taken over, damaging many of our plants. Steve has mowed the lawn a thousand times already. I’ve submitted my application to the Daughters of the American Revolution and attended my first meeting. We attended Sheffield’s pre-school graduation and Elise and Sheffield’s gymnastics show. Life is back to NH normal.

After spending five months with no responsibilities, it has been an adjustment to take responsibility for yard work (and we have a large yard and numerous gardens) and the cleaning, and maintenance of our house. Every time we drive by the campground near our house I point out the fifth-wheel that is for sale. Steve just shakes his head and says “will you make up your mind?” I’ve never been very good at that.

A brothel in its former life (seen from the bathroom window)

Adrenal Cancer, Travel, Writing, Writing Group February 6, 2014 Comments: 2
Jerome, AZ

Jerome, AZ

Today I was going to get serious about my book–didn’t I say that yesterday?? What was I thinking? Instead we traveled to Sedona to see Dan, a friend of ours from back in NH who is a snow bird, just like we are now. It’s further up there than we thought–over two hours, and that’s in the HOV lane–and we got a late start (someone had to take a shower and do her hair).

It’s about 15 degrees cooler up there so I was happy I remembered my fleece jacket. We actually ran into some rain on the way up. Rain!

We ventured to Jerome for lunch, with Steve receiving just a warning–no ticket–for speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign. Jerome is an old mining and “ghost” town, about the elevation of Mount Washington, that appears to have most of its original buildings still standing, without any renovations, or if there are any, they are done “tastefully.”

Looking out the window of the bathroom at the restaurant where we had lunch I could see what was obviously a brothel in its former life. And hanging on the walls for decorations were vintage corsets and garters and things I couldn’t identify. Dan will be 90 this July–maybe I should have asked him if he knew what they were?? Without doing any research, I can say unequivocally that Jerome must have been a happening place back in the day!!

Kathy, my Pilates instructor in Vermont, is reading a book that takes place in Jerome. I’ll add it to my list of “must reads.” I can always rely on her recommendations.

In our absence (she must have been afraid I would buy another t-shirt), Joy visited Goodwill and brought home two “new” jigsaw puzzles. While she and Steve were busy carting Tyler to football practice and Haley to gymnastics, I was occupied with setting up one of the puzzles. Although we had vowed not to do another puzzle after the last one, Joy, Haley, and I didn’t hesitate to gather around the dining room table for an hour and work on the new one. We refrained from getting out the head lamps this time but we certainly could have used them. I imagine my writing group members will identify this as creative procrastination. I suppose I could have been out shoveling snow as I know some of them were!!

No word from my doctor on the results of the CT scan or the blood work. Tomorrow I will call as they don’t seem to be the ones to initiate the calls. Did I mention how much I miss DHMC?

Starting to get serious about writing–once again

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, My Novel - Claire February 4, 2014 Comments: 6
San Tan Mountains

San Tan Mountains

I feel guilty even writing that we have been enjoying temperatures in the 70’s during our stay in Arizona while the rest of the country seems to be mired in yet another round of snow storms after having survived yet another polar vortex. (Not to say that we don’t cool off over night–but it’s worth it to awaken to blue skies and sunshine, even if there is a slight chill in the air.)

I met with a new oncologist a week ago Friday. He was very nice. But oh how I miss my Norris Cotton Cancer Center at DHMC. And Dr. Ernstoff, Nancy Crosby, and gang. Finally had my three-month CT scan yesterday after three calls to the not-so-nice scheduler (“I have 127 orders on my desk…”) and, I’m almost embarrassed to admit, a not-so-nice message for the doctor. Come to find out, he was on vacation. For those of you who are not familiar with my journey with ACC, it is laden with delays due to doctors who are on vacation.

My scan was at SMIL. No “e.” They were efficient and friendly. I didn’t even mind when the tech asked me if I had nipple rings! (You don’t want to know. But the answer is no.)

Now the wait for the results begins. I’m definitely spoiled by DHMC, where the doctor has the report on his desk within an hour of the scan. Funny how much we have come to rely on the results of the CT scan every three months. It’s a report card of sorts. But one with life or death significance. If you haven’t been there, I imagine that sounds melodramatic.

Today we visited Changing Hands Bookstore (and an art store) in Tempe and earlier we made it to The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale. We are starting to get serious about painting and writing–the two activities we have planned to focus on. I have managed to write about ten lines on my “Claire” novel and Steve has produced a first draft of a watercolor of the San Tan mountains. Our excuse is that we have been busy with the kids after school and with going places during the day. It’s wonderful to be retired and not just on vacation!

Roar

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, Family October 24, 2013 Comments: 3

CHaD performing Katie Perry’s “Roar”

If you haven’t seen the video of the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) patients lip-syncing Katie Perry’s “Roar” it’s worth your time to watch it. (Not sure how you could have missed it—it has over a million views on YouTube!)

Every time I watch it—or visit CHaD–I am reminded how fortunate I am that I was blessed with a full life, children, grandchildren, career, a long and happy marriage, before my cancer diagnosis. Not all of the kids who are admitted to CHaD have that to look forward to.

Our niece, Meghan Richardson, is one of the “stars” of the video. She has cystic fibrosis and gets admitted to “Hotel” CHaD a couple of times a year when her lung functions drop. She’s been going there sixteen years now—they actually saved her life when she was four months old. When we visit Meghan at CHaD, we see how much of a second home it is to her. Over the years she’s taken more control of her medical care—and I imagine there are times some of the staff wish she were less assertive, that she “roared” less.

I wish I had known how to roar over a year ago when I was first experiencing symptoms of my adrenal cancer. Granted, my treatment and outcome may not have been any different if I had been diagnosed three months earlier but I might not have felt so powerless during the time while I waited for my diagnosis. It helps to be reminded that I still need to be in charge of my health care.

Yesterday was my quarterly CT scan. The preliminary reading is that everything is stable. And now we can breathe. For another three months.

After my appointment we were going to hang around for the filming of the Piers Morgan/CNN interview with Meghan, Maggie, and Holly from the video but it wasn’t scheduled until 8:30 p.m. and we decided that watching the interview from the couch in our jammies was more appealing. Not to mention that we would be able to see the Red Sox play (WIN!!) the first game of the World Series.

There are no coincidences, we like to say around here. (Frannie, my nurse yesterday in the oncology department, happens to be in the video!) Meghan would not have been in that video if her lung functions hadn’t dropped. It was filmed on the first day she was admitted to CHaD but you would never know she was as sick as she was. That’s the spirit of the patients at CHaD—and their parents, health care providers, and staff. They are amazing. Inspiring.

Nothing to worry about

Cancer, Mitotane, My Novel- Anne July 24, 2013 Leave a comment

Woke up at 4:30 this morning to check my iPhone for the email from DHMC letting me know that I have test results available. It was there and suddenly I was wide awake. So was Steve.

Sure enough, the CT scan report supports what my oncologist said—nothing to worry about–but I wasn’t reassured until I saw it in writing. Does this mean I don’t have confidence in my oncologist? Or am I just a pessimist, expecting the “other shoe to drop”?

Everyone says I have such a positive attitude. I try. Really, I do.

But I’m more of a realist than an optimist. And the prognosis for ACC is “grim.” “Dismal.” If you believe the medical journal articles.

DDT use in residential areas was banned on November 20, 1969, one day and 43 years before my surgery. Yet twice a day I take mitotane, a DDT derivative. As of today I am still Stage 2. And the mitotane is supposed to keep me there. So I am committed to ingesting it for as long as I can. Regardless of the side effects.

But all chemotherapy is poison so I don’t suppose I’m any more special than the thousands of other people who take it every day.

I feel as though my life has been put on hold since my CT scan last week. I’ve heard other cancer patients say their lives are broken down into the time spans between scans.

In the last week I haven’t worked on my novel except to change Lexi Rae’s name to Poppy. And in order to firm up Poppy’s age, I had to research the hippie movement. (If you want to know the connection, you’ll just have to read the novel. Once I finish it….) And that was where I learned the date that DDT was banned.

Hard to believe that I was just months away from meeting my husband. This February we will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. And celebrate it we will with a trip to Hawaii. We’re planning on flying from Arizona to Hawaii then taking a seven-day cruise around the islands. That’s the plan today….but we’re learning to go with the flow….

 

What a difference a day makes

Cancer July 19, 2013 Comments: 2

But does it? Yesterday was supposed to be my routine three-month scan at DHMC. Confirmation that I am one of the 20-30% of ACC patients who respond to mitotane. Whose cancer is kept from recurring by enduring the side effects of a DDT derivative.

We were disappointed that the CT scan report was not available by the time we met with my oncologist but we were pleased that he was able to bring up the scans on his computer.

We weren’t so pleased when he pointed out the arrow the radiologist had inserted next to the cyst on my thyroid. A new cyst? No, he was able to show us that it was on the April CT scan. It just happens that July is when the new batch of residents arrive with a fresh perspective on old problems.

The issue is that neither of us remembered hearing about a cyst on my thyroid. (And when I got home and reviewed the prior CT scan reports I found no mention of a cyst there either.) My oncologist “reassured” us that people have thyroid cancer and die of other causes without ever knowing they had it.

Somehow that was not reassuring. Seems as though that is what we’ve read about ACC. But it’s not my situation.

And the lesion on the liver. Another shocker. I can’t seem to find that in the prior CT scans but daughter Joy thinks that has been there right along.

The scan should have been read by today. My oncologist goes on a two week vacation next week. (My cancer has been a series of timing issues.) Luckily I see my endocrinologist next week. She should be able to address the thyroid cyst. She will address it.

And then there’s the atypical mole on my back, circled in black marker by my oncologist. It might not be so bad if I hadn’t already had two melanomas removed (11 years ago).

Am I worried? Not really. I know liver issues can be addressed in many ways. I probably won’t die from thyroid cancer. The mole, if a melanoma, most likely will be Stage 1 and require no further treatment other than removal.

I am disappointed. We had already decided that we were not going to overreact if anything new came out of the CT scan. Take our time and weigh our options. But deep down I was confident that there would be nothing new. And now there’s a thyroid cyst. And a liver lesion. Supposedly these aren’t new. Except they feel new.

So is today really any different than yesterday?

This morning I started a gentle yoga class. Not looking for a physical experience. Looking for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. And the courage to change those I can.

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