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PET CT & Small Bowel Uptake?

Forums General Melanoma Community PET CT & Small Bowel Uptake?

  • Post
    ErikaHouston2
    Participant

      High level summary – I am stage IA – Diagnosed in Oct '08 .65mm clark level II/III. I am 31 married with a 2 yo and a 4 month old.

      High level summary – I am stage IA – Diagnosed in Oct '08 .65mm clark level II/III. I am 31 married with a 2 yo and a 4 month old.

      Fast forward to late July 2010 – pass out, wake up to massive unexplained GI bleeding (no history whatsoever of issues), taken to ER in ambulance, admitted to ICU. Required blood transfusion (4 units).   Every test imagineable is run on me while staying in the hospital for four days (CT Scan, wireless capsule encoscopy, EGD, two (yes two!) colonoscopies, small bowel xray, and two nuclear imaging tests. Nothing is found to explain bleeding and no new bleeding so I am sent home with a watch and wait approach and told to follow up in a month with GI Dr. that followed me in hospital.  

      Have all my records from hospital stay sent over to MD Anderson where I am followed. My Dermatologist at MDA discusses case with Melanoma Oncologist who recommends PET CT scan.

      I have PET CT scan 35 days after initial GI bleeding.

      Impression from PET CT is:

      1. No definite evidence of melanoma metastases.
      2. There is uptake seen within the loops of small bowel in the pelvis which could be due to recent history of GI bleeding. This can be followed on subsequent exams.

      The Melanoma oncologist recommended doing another PET CT in one month.

      Any thoughts on the impression? Should I be worried?

      Unfortunately since my main Dr. at MDA is a Dermatologist she is playing the messenger and I feel like I am really in limbo and not getting a good read on if they are just being extremely cautious or if this is something I should be more concerned about.

       

       

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        lhaley
        Participant

          Have you considered asking for an appointment with the oncologist that your derm is consulting with so you can ask questions?  Just because you haven't had a face to face the oncologist has the facts of your case and is looking out for your best interests.  It is amazing with that massive of a bleed and all of those tests they didn't find what caused it!

          It sounds like the Drs. are being cautious.  Until they have read the next test you really won't know if you should have been worried or not.  Could this possibly be massive inflamation from the recent bleed?

          Wishing you the best. Keep us updated and don't borrow trouble till you have all the facts ( I know much easier said than done).

          Linda

          lhaley
          Participant

            Have you considered asking for an appointment with the oncologist that your derm is consulting with so you can ask questions?  Just because you haven't had a face to face the oncologist has the facts of your case and is looking out for your best interests.  It is amazing with that massive of a bleed and all of those tests they didn't find what caused it!

            It sounds like the Drs. are being cautious.  Until they have read the next test you really won't know if you should have been worried or not.  Could this possibly be massive inflamation from the recent bleed?

            Wishing you the best. Keep us updated and don't borrow trouble till you have all the facts ( I know much easier said than done).

            Linda

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