I repeat, brain tumor crisis averted! Yep, you heard that one right. For over 2 weeks now, I have had many sleepless nights, butterflies in my stomach, a few grouchy moments and 'Google-itis' (see below):
[goo·guhl·ai·tIs ] a pathological obsession with internet researching until all hours of the night about (in my case), brain tumors and metastatic cancer to the brain.
So, let me cut to the chase and break it down for you. I began having symptoms and side effects consistent with metastatic brain cancer a few weeks back so my oncologist took me off my new estrogen blocker meds, blah, blah, blah, wanted me to wait it out to see if the headaches diminished and VOILA! They didn't go anywhere.
The conversation that ensued next with my oncologist during my last treatment then went something like this:
ME: Hey, Dr. G., I'm still having those headaches.
DR G: Did you track them over the last couple of weeks?
ME: Yeah.
DR G: And?
ME: I still have them.
DR G: Well, then we need a brain scan to see if your breast cancer has metastasized to your brain and if you have a brain tumor.
ME: (Saying nothing but thinking... Did he just used the words 'brain' and tumor' in the same sentence?)
DR G: OK?
ME: Okaaay. (Insert deafening silence here)
So, fast forward a couple of weeks and one brain scan later, and now a new conversation with Dr. G. over the phone yesterday and....
DR G: Well, we got the results and the good news is that there are no signs of metastatic breast cancer or any brain tumors. But...
ME: (Thinking again...AWESOME!!....uh....what? "But?")
ME: Oh good! (insert brave voice here)
DR G: But, your brain looks older than your age
ME: (Thinking.... he must mean WISER, not older! Duh.) Ooookaay?
DR G: And...
ME: (Still thinking....And? There's more?)
DR G: There are some white spots that look a little suspicious and might be consistent with MS or a stroke
ME: (Thinking yet again... Who the hell cares about a damn stroke, I don't have a brain tumor!!)
DR G: So, I am calling my best neurologist now (can't for the life of me recall his name - still celebrating in my head about no metastatic cancer and brain tumors!)... so I can get you an appointment with him so he can figure out your headaches and these white spots
ME: Ok! Great! Thanks so much! Bye-Bye!
So there you have it. My celebration of the week. No brain tumors - CHECK. No metastatic cancer - CHECK. White spots - CHECK. Stroke - WHATEVER! MS? - YEAH RIGHT!
In the meantime, enjoy the pics, the video and me on Ativan for the brain scan!
Nighty Night!
No mets is DEFINITLY good news! Woohoo! As for the other stuff, well - it's going to be investigated and understood, so that's good as well. Wishing you rest and a headache-free head. ~Catherine
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support, good wishes and the Woo Hoo Catherine! No mets is DEFINITELY awesome news!
DeleteDr Fredda Branyon wishes you well. We pray for your continuous healing. May the Lord bless you with more strength and a long and satisfied life. Have a nice day and keep sharing your thoughts to us. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHi Dee Anne,
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have been through much more than your share! I hate to use your blog in this way, but thought you would like to know what Ms. Burns (above) has been up to. Apparently, she has spent the last several months making inane comments about "Dr" Branyon, on every blog or blog post, with the word "cancer" in the title, including mine. However, Branyon, is NOT a doctor! Rather, she is a criminal from Scottsdale, Arizona, who has made thousands off sick and desperate individuals. Ms. Branyon started buying umbilical cords and cord blood tissue from a Del Rio birthing center in 2009. Then, with no training regarding stem cell development or the legal ability to do so, she manufactured hundreds of vials of "stem cells". She sold 183 vials of "stem cells" for more than $300,000, to Francisco Morales, who worked with the lab she owned, Global Laboratories. Morales, in turn, led his patients to believe he was a doctor (he isn't) and was arrested in Texas for treating people with cancer and multiple sclerosis in "treatments" not approved by the FDA. Branyon pleaded guilty during an investigation by the FDA and FBI in 2011. She was facing 3 years in jail and a $10,000 fine. I hope she is cooling her heels in prison as I write.
Again, my apologies for such a rude intrusion on your blog. But, I thought you would rather know. Wishing you the best. Les