The Words Beneath My Fingertips

Every year new tumors grow. As I said in my last entry, I have pulmonary nodules.   I also have this weird blob like thing in the right side of my lung. I have been monitored to make sure they remained stable, etc. They were first found when I had a PET scan last August (the PET was done to ensure my NF tumor wasn't cancer and to see if my liver tumor was visable- there was no liver tumor as other MRI's suggested). I had a follow up in November- no change. I was actually excited to get a chest CT at the time I did- I haven't been breathing right. I don't feel that 'refreshed' feeling when I take in a deep breath. In order to get that 'refreshed feeling' I have to REALLY breathe in HARD. So I wanted to see if the nodules were bothering my airways (I was told they could bother my airways, so I assume my nodules are the culprit) Well this is what it says now: (this is my CT scan) Lungs and airways: Examination of the lungs demonstrates that the 1cm gr...

I haven't written an update post in FOREVER. I've just had no time. Between school work, studying for Comps and more school work and applying for jobs...yeah. Now that school work is dwindling, my comps are over (and I passed!), I can write this long overdue blog about my GD esophagus.Not NF related, sure, but I am perpetually recovering from stomach cancer surgery, so yeah. Anyway, I've had problem swallowing since maybe February. Well, ha, I've had problems swallowing since my damn cancer surgery, but it got worse. So did my heartburn. I was worried. So I had an endoscopy in the beginning of March. This photo below is BASICALLY what I had done in 2009- after part of my stomach/esophagus/GE junction were removed, they fundoplicated it back together: It's not exactly like this because in this photo, the IN TACT stomach was wrapped against an IN TACT junction/esophagus. They took what was left of my stomach and wrapped it around what was left of my esophagu...

I am really bad at updating, I know, but just a follow up from the last blog: Chest CT clear. Not clear in the sense that there's nothing there. The nodules are still there, they just didn't grow. Thank goodness! Now I can go back to my regularly scheduled all nighter for school. In about 9.15 hours I will be meeting my law classmates to discuss our case study. This has been a ritual for our papers. This is due Thursday. I have another paper due Monday. Busy weekend ahead indeed.

Just got my path report in the mail as promised. I love pathology language. First of all, I love how it begins with this: Study of Indication: Left retroperitoneal mass on previous MRI for characterization. -- I was not told about this in September as I said in my video in my last entry. I can't believe I was WITHHELD information. I was only told about my LIVER. Can't wait to bitch to my gastroenterlogist!! Findings: There is a left retroperitoneal  lesion measuring approximately 3.7 cm in craniocaudal and 2.4 cm in transverse dimensions, with an oval morphology. It lies parallel to the psoas muscle. [then it goes on to explain in scientific terms how the tumor lit up in different lights/magnetic intensities]. There are two smaller lesions, one in the right rectus muscle (5:15) measuring 12 mm and the other in the right lateral abdominal wall measuring 5 mm (5:12). Findings are highly suggestive of multiple nerve sheath tumors. Clinical investigation for neurofibromat...