Topic: Test, Test, and More Testing!

[Ken (OP)]

Time for a bit of an update.
These past few weeks have been an adventure in how to manage pain that if left untreated would cause me to just curl up into a ball of misery. It's not exaggerating to say that the pain levels on the left side of my body has been worse than anything that I've ever experienced before. Using my spine as a dividing point, the pain included my entire left side from my neck down to my waist line and included the neck, arm, ribs, and shoulder front and back.

So, because there did not seem to be an explanation for what was going on we have been running a series of tests, including, NM Whole-body bone scan, MRI, Echocardiogram and maybe some others to come in these next few weeks.

At this point, the testing is showing that my cancer may have spread into my rib cage, but we're not quite ready to settle on that diagnosis.
Cancer can sure can be a dramatic journey.

Currently, my treatment plan is 3-4 10mg OXY tabs a day plus Kay being kind enough to rub me down with Mineral Ice a couple of times a day.

[Skhilled]

I wish you nothing but the best! Let me know if there's anything I can do here while this is going on.

Kay is such a sweetie! 

[Ken (OP)]

Kay is my Rock, my Guardian Angel and any number of other sweet and loving titles you can think of. If not for her, I would likely already be in some kind of assisted living or nursing home facility because, although I can still move and get around unassisted, it is a true fact that to manage to make it through a whole day completely on my own might be a bit of a reach just now. 

Steve, your generous offer is delightful to hear, and I greatly appreciate your continuing support, but you do so much for me already that I dare not ask you to do more, especially so because I know your plate is already full doing all the updates for Jeff's site. You know that you have full rein here on the OFF site, so do as you will, but please don't take time and effort away from your commitment to the CripZone.

PS: Forgot to mention one of the tests, and that is a PET scan of my left shoulder and neck area. That one was rather painful and awkward because they have you lay on a table that's like one used for a CT scan except it has a cup, or socket, attached to it and your shoulder gets jammed up into the socket so that holds you tightly immobilized when they run you through the scanning tube. The tube is much tighter than the ones they use for CT scans, my nose was rubbing on the top of the tube and my shoulders were rubbing the sides. Tight spaces have never bothered me very much, but for someone who would be bothered, I'll bet the test would make them freak out! 

And, this scan machine was the loudest that I've ever been in

[Scrubmeister]

Ken - Thanks for the update. Noticed you hadn't been on in a few days.

So sorry to hear you are in such pain. Hope your doctors are able to figure this out.

Know what you mean about your wife. Those of us who have a wife like that are truly lucky.

Best wishes to both of you.

[Ken (OP)]

A small update that contains a bit of really great news,
First the great news, all these scans, especially the PET scan, shows that my cancer status has improved dramatically! Seems that the radiation treatments that we did last year did their job and now the cancer nodules that were in the right kidney bed are gone. And, some of the nodules that were in the lungs are gone, and the main remaining nodule may be scar tissue from the radiation. Either way, whatever it is, it remains the same size, so that's good.

The not so good news is that we still don't know what the issue is with my left side. While my condition has improved somewhat, my pain levels are still difficult to deal with, so the next step will be an Orthopedic Doctor.

[Skhilled]

Glad to hear the good news! I'll pray for the 'not so good news' to get better.

[Scrubmeister]

That is great news Ken. 

Hope your health continues to improve.