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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 19, 2024 16:46:44 GMT -5
WHat do ya know. Had my CT Scan today and the aneurism of upper thoracic aorta has stabilized with no growth over these past 14 months. However there is an irregular mass in lower right lobe of lung that needs to be looked into with a PET CT Scan.....all these technical terms. I bet that is my sarcoidosis being a problem again. I think these nodules have gotten angry what with the COVID pneumonia I had which I looked up for verification and am being proved correct. Well Thursday an appointment with Pulmonary specialist should be interesting. Glad I have health insurance that takes care of all these test etc. A biopsy is recommended. I had that years ago and did not like that at all. So will not do that at 76.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 19, 2024 20:59:24 GMT -5
I will pray for all to benign. I have been trying to get Kathy to see a pulmonologist. She has COPD as well as the damage from 2 serious bouts with covid pneumonia as well as a serious go around with bacterial pneumonia before she finally got vaccinated for pneumonia.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 20, 2024 7:37:08 GMT -5
Prayers for a good outcome.
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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 20, 2024 8:47:13 GMT -5
Thanks. Tell Kathy see a pulmonologist now before serious trouble begins. I take two different inhalers plus a rescue inhaler if a problem with breathing comes up which has not happened in a few years. I see mine every 6 months. I think for me every three years i take a pulmonary breathing test which is easy to do with a respiratory technician.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 20, 2024 14:32:51 GMT -5
Kathy takes Simbacort in the morning and Spirva at night plus her nebulizer and Albutrol rescue inhaler. She doesn't have quite so much trouble since they put her on 24/7 3 liters of O2 of course. Simbacort has a steroid in the mix and supposedly targets the lower part of the lungs. The doctor said it is usually not a problem with not getting enough volume of O2, it is a problem with absorption. You can breathe in all the supplemental O2 you want all day long but if you are not absorbing the O2 you are still going to be hypoxic.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 20, 2024 14:36:01 GMT -5
Thanks. Tell Kathy see a pulmonologist now before serious trouble begins. I take two different inhalers plus a rescue inhaler if a problem with breathing comes up which has not happened in a few years. I see mine every 6 months. I think for me every three years i take a pulmonary breathing test which is easy to do with a respiratory technician. I take a pulmonary test every year for the VA because I was taking Amiodarone and it can damage the lungs if taken for a long period of time. After many years of taking it they finally changed me over to a different medication without all the side effects. |
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Post by BHU on Mar 20, 2024 15:20:35 GMT -5
As a former smoker my Dr. set me up with a screening program a couple years ago. The first CT scan showed a lung nodule as did a follow up PET scan. I've had 3 scans & so far the nodule hasen't changed from 2 years ago. I'm scheduled for another scan in a couple weeks. The pulmomnologist suggested a biopsy after the 2nd scan but I turned him down. I did some research & according to The Cleveland Clinic 90% of these nodules are benign & many people have them & don't even know it, until ig shows up on a scan. Most of them are too small to be picked up on an XRay.
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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 20, 2024 15:48:16 GMT -5
Kathy takes Simbacort in the morning and Spirva at night plus her nebulizer and Albutrol rescue inhaler. She doesn't have quite so much trouble since they put her on 24/7 3 liters of O2 of course. Simbacort has a steroid in the mix and supposedly targets the lower part of the lungs. The doctor said it is usually not a problem with not getting enough volume of O2, it is a problem with absorption. You can breathe in all the supplemental O2 you want all day long but if you are not absorbing the O2 you are still going to be hypoxic. I was taking Symbicort many years ago then my insurance dropped it from there formulary and no I take Flovent. Now Flovent has been dropped from formulary and I notified my Doc and she ordered something new that I have to pick up Thursday at Walmart after my appointment in Pulmonary. I also do Spirava at night and when needed Albuterol. I have O2 using a concentrator but I only use it if I have a cold. I am supposed to use it every night. |
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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 20, 2024 15:57:17 GMT -5
As a former smoker my Dr. set me up with a screening program a couple years ago. The first CT scan showed a lung nodule as did a follow up PET scan. I've had 3 scans & so far the nodule hasen't changed from 2 years ago. I'm scheduled for another scan in a couple weeks. The pulmomnologist suggested a biopsy after the 2nd scan but I turned him down. I did some research & according to The Cleveland Clinic 90% of these nodules are benign & many people have them & don't even know it, until ig shows up on a scan. Most of them are too small to be picked up on an XRay. That is what they said when an xray picked up several questable masses in the right lung so I had to have a biopsy. That wasn't to bad but my lung collapsed so it took four trips back and forth to and from x ray to my room at St. Lukes until the lung sprang back up and functioned properly. The biopsy was not to bad the Doc who did it was so thankful that I took very deep breaths when he told me to when he was ready to insert that very long needle to collect the sample. They took four samples so that was four sticks with the needed. Only part that was a little more painful was when he inserted this device down into the lung apparently the opening is where he inserts the needle and whatever to collect samples. The samples did not show cancer buy sarcoidosis and I have about 8 nodules in right lung. They were shrinking. Also when I was giving my history to the tech I forgot to mention sarcoidosis and I think they needed to know that since two years ago I told them and the nodules were ruled out. Oh well. From what I have been reading my 3 cm nodules are now problematic. Just my luck..... |
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Post by BHU on Mar 21, 2024 12:58:03 GMT -5
As a former smoker my Dr. set me up with a screening program a couple years ago. The first CT scan showed a lung nodule as did a follow up PET scan. I've had 3 scans & so far the nodule hasen't changed from 2 years ago. I'm scheduled for another scan in a couple weeks. The pulmomnologist suggested a biopsy after the 2nd scan but I turned him down. I did some research & according to The Cleveland Clinic 90% of these nodules are benign & many people have them & don't even know it, until ig shows up on a scan. Most of them are too small to be picked up on an XRay. That is what they said when an xray picked up several questable masses in the right lung so I had to have a biopsy. That wasn't to bad but my lung collapsed so it took four trips back and forth to and from x ray to my room at St. Lukes until the lung sprang back up and functioned properly. The biopsy was not to bad the Doc who did it was so thankful that I took very deep breaths when he told me to when he was ready to insert that very long needle to collect the sample. They took four samples so that was four sticks with the needed. Only part that was a little more painful was when he inserted this device down into the lung apparently the opening is where he inserts the needle and whatever to collect samples. The samples did not show cancer buy sarcoidosis and I have about 8 nodules in right lung. They were shrinking. Also when I was giving my history to the tech I forgot to mention sarcoidosis and I think they needed to know that since two years ago I told them and the nodules were ruled out. Oh well. From what I have been reading my 3 cm nodules are now problematic. Just my luck..... Sounds painful. What did they give you for it? |
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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 21, 2024 16:31:52 GMT -5
It was a general anesthesia numbing area in back if I remember correctly. The initial prick wasn't what you call painful but a lot of pressure as they inserted something to spread the two ribs so as to allow the needle collecting the sample to enter.
Saw the Pulmonary Doctor today and she want over everything with me even showing the Cat Scan and explaining the pictures on my lungs comparing last year with this current month. She does not think it is cancer but and inflammation from the sarcoidosis but she ordered a PET Ct Scan in 10 or 11 days. In the meantime she put me on prednisone and an antibiotic that I was supposed start tonight BUT Walmart did not have the prescription ready so I have to go back tomorrow because it I waited I would have missed the last Bus back to my apartment which meant I would have to wait at the Hub until 6:15 PM to catch the Burrstone Road Bus then walk up Pulaski Street. I did that in the summer BUT will NOT do it in winter especially today with that horrible high wind and Windchill that made it feel like January arctic blast. So now I wait take meds have Scans and hope for the best.....
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Post by Atticus Pizzaballa on Mar 21, 2024 16:33:32 GMT -5
BHU: It was a general anesthesia numbing area in back if I remember correctly. The initial prick wasn't what you call painful but a lot of pressure as they inserted something to spread the two ribs so as to allow the needle collecting the sample to enter.
Saw the Pulmonary Doctor today and she want over everything with me even showing the Cat Scan and explaining the pictures on my lungs comparing last year with this current month. She does not think it is cancer but and inflammation from the sarcoidosis but she ordered a PET Ct Scan in 10 or 11 days. In the meantime she put me on prednisone and an antibiotic that I was supposed start tonight BUT Walmart did not have the prescription ready so I have to go back tomorrow because it I waited I would have missed the last Bus back to my apartment which meant I would have to wait at the Hub until 6:15 PM to catch the Burrstone Road Bus then walk up Pulaski Street. I did that in the summer BUT will NOT do it in winter especially today with that horrible high wind and Windchill that made it feel like January arctic blast. So now I wait take meds have Scans and hope for the best.....
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Post by Clipper on Mar 21, 2024 16:58:39 GMT -5
Good luck. I hope that the pet scan shows that there is no reason for concern.
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