I’m not sure if Alan knows that I’m recording all of this, and if he does know, I’m not sure how he feels about it. He certainly hasn’t said anything, not that he’s read it. I’m cataloging this more for me, so I don’t forget things, than for public consumption anyway. If anyone does read this, I’d appreciate it if they don’t mention it to him. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want the world to know, that he wants to keep things a little quiet. It is nice to know that he plans to take things in stride and not let this nightmare get him down.
Communicate!
I’m not sure if I’m disgusted with the insurance system—they seem to be doing their job, so I don’t think they’re at fault—or the doctors within that gravely faulted system. Communication, people! I swear to fucking god, the overwhelming lack of communication astounds me. While they’re pretending to share information with each other, time is ticking away.
It’s really annoying that the urologist called yesterday to say that he ‘just’ got the results. Alan has emails that say he got the results more than a week ago. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he’s just reading the results, but the fact that he said he was going to give him a referral to a hematology specialist, which he’s already done, tells me that he either isn’t very thorough or that he hasn’t actually read them yet.
In the meantime, speaking of the hematology specialist, we’re still trying to get ahold of someone in one of her many offices to follow up on the prescription that he was supposed to start a week ago. The pharmacy never received the order and trying to get someone in one of her offices to follow up is just wasting more time.
Have I mentioned how important time is?
Results Speak Volumes
While we were sitting waiting for the GP, x-ray techs, hematology specialist, and the urologist to coordinate, we have finally gotten actual results and they are so much worse than expected.
Stage III? Nope. Not by a long shot. We’ve moved directly to Stage IVB: Metastatic Prostate Cancer. And boy has it metastasized.
I’ve been Googling the findings from the CT scan, bone scan, and blood test. I’m getting a crash course in medicine.
Chest
- Left lung shows a 4 mm (1/16”) nonspecific nodule.
- The osseous structures (bone structures in the chest) show “extensive lesions throughout the thoracic vertebral bodies”.
- There are also lesions in both right and left ribs and the right scapula and left glenoid (scapula socket).
Abdomen and Pelvis
- Enlarged liver (may be due to other health issues) with a tiny undefined but questionable mass.
- Enlarged spleen
- A 4 cm (1-1/2”) hypodense mass on the right kidney, which isn’t a cyst but could be a lesion.
- Enlarged prostate (where it all started)
- Enlarged inguinal (groin) lymph nodes
- Two separate hernias
- “Extensive osteoblastic lesions throughout the lumbar vertebra and pelvic bones”.
As I read through all of the results and findings, I realize that the hematology results were not included. Oh goody. I can’t wait to read those.
What does it all mean?
Well, that means that the originally diagnosed prostate cancer has developed into what looks like bone cancer in the thoracic and lumbar spine, pelvis, ribs, and shoulder. Metastases into the inguinal lymph nodes, possibly into the liver and kidney, and hepatosplenomegaly (enlarged liver and spleen) because of either a separate health issue or the cancer.
Oh, and that 157 PSA is right out the window, replaced by a level of over 220.