Some Good, Some Bad

yesterday, Tuesday, was to discover the results of the recent CT scan on my lungs assessing the size of that "indeterminate" nodule that was discovered accidentally in September.

I have learnt to expect bad news so it was with increasing anxiety that I sat waiting for the consultant to see me and it was a long wait. I grew more and more angry as the time passed and I was finally seen an hour and three quarters after my appointment time. I made my displeasure known and said that keeping patients hanging about like that without a word of explanation or apology was utterly unacceptable. I don't think they even grasped why I was so angry so ingrained in NHS psyche is the attitude that, although doctor must not be kept waiting, the patient can be kept waiting as long as suits the doctor.

Anyway, to the more important issue. That damned nodule has grown. It was 11mmx11mm and three months later is now 12mmx12mm. My immediate reaction is that must be within the margin of error of the equipment and Dr. B. did not argue with that statement. Thinking about it since I am even more persuaded that it could be such as, of course, owing to my recent surgery my muscular structure around my abdomen is very different from what it was in September and the incision came right up to my ribs. The position of the lower lobe of my lung as I lay on the CT scan bed could easily have been different from what it was three months earlier.

Of course in another three months if there is another increase in size however small then it can't be ignored. Dr. B's view was that this "creeper" as he described it, would grow more rapidly at some point next year.

We talked treatment options. There is a new radiotherapy option which, instead of giving about 20 low-powered zaps gives 3 or 4 high-powered zaps. There is also a surgical option, possibly using keyhole techniques which Dr B said was more certain in that it removed the suspect tissue completely from the body and allowed it to be examined microscopicly whereas with radiotherapy it's still in the body and you are guessing as to its exact nature.

I gather it's too small to bother doing a biopsy first.

At least, even if it does grow, it has been picked up early so there is a very good chance that the treatment will be successful.