Liver Concerns

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  • Post
    • June 30, 2011 at 5:14 pm
    newmanmark
    Participant

      Group,

      I am still anxiously awaiting my CT scan on July 11th.  This wait has been awful.  I am unable to concentrate at work and have been distant with friends and family.  I'm sure a lot of you can relate.

      Group,

      I am still anxiously awaiting my CT scan on July 11th.  This wait has been awful.  I am unable to concentrate at work and have been distant with friends and family.  I'm sure a lot of you can relate.

      I am concerned that the melanoma has returned to my liver.  I have been experiencing mild discomfort and light pain in my upper right abdomen area, just below my ribs.  The research I have done suggest that this could be the swelling of the liver due to the melanoma.  I am a stage 3C patient (8 nodes infected) so I am hovering awfully close to Stage 4.  I'm hoping that this is not the case but you never know.

      Has anyone else out there had these abdominal issues only later to find out that its not melanoma.  Could this be a side effect of the 7 months of Interferon treatment? Any thoughts or words of encouragement?

      Thanks

      Mark 

    Viewing 13 reply threads
    • Replies
        • June 30, 2011 at 5:33 pm
        akls
        Participant

          Mark,

          I don't know if they have already checked this, but that's where a lot of my gall bladder pain was.  Have they checked for stones?  Hope all turns out well.  I can totally relate with the being distant and anxiety.  I have a nodule on my thyroid that has been biopsied once and came back ok, but they just had it biopsied again because it is getting bigger.  I called for results and they couldn't give them to me over the phone.  They said the Dr. will call if there is a problem.  The waiting sucks. 

          I wish your scan was sooner, but they check for gall stones using ultrasound.  They can usually schedule those pretty fast. 

          Good Luck.

          Amy S. in Michigan

          • June 30, 2011 at 5:33 pm
          akls
          Participant

            Mark,

            I don't know if they have already checked this, but that's where a lot of my gall bladder pain was.  Have they checked for stones?  Hope all turns out well.  I can totally relate with the being distant and anxiety.  I have a nodule on my thyroid that has been biopsied once and came back ok, but they just had it biopsied again because it is getting bigger.  I called for results and they couldn't give them to me over the phone.  They said the Dr. will call if there is a problem.  The waiting sucks. 

            I wish your scan was sooner, but they check for gall stones using ultrasound.  They can usually schedule those pretty fast. 

            Good Luck.

            Amy S. in Michigan

            • June 30, 2011 at 7:05 pm
            lhaley
            Participant

              Mark,

              I've had some upper quadrant pains and they discovered that mine is gallbladder but it doesn't quite present like normal gallbladder issues.  They did a hida scan and discovered that the gallbladder cannot squeeze out the bile.  They are scheduling surgery for whenever I can get clear from the mel issuees.

              I hope yours is something similar to mine. 

              Linda

              • June 30, 2011 at 7:05 pm
              lhaley
              Participant

                Mark,

                I've had some upper quadrant pains and they discovered that mine is gallbladder but it doesn't quite present like normal gallbladder issues.  They did a hida scan and discovered that the gallbladder cannot squeeze out the bile.  They are scheduling surgery for whenever I can get clear from the mel issuees.

                I hope yours is something similar to mine. 

                Linda

                • June 30, 2011 at 10:29 pm
                Fen
                Participant

                  Mark –  I was convinced that mel had metastasized to my liver, too.  After many tests, much waiting, and much anxiety it finally went away. Nothing.  My PCP suggested it may have been a back injury with referred pain, but I think it was just me being neurotic.   I'm not suggesting this is the case with you, but there are lots of things that cause pain.  Our first thought is mel, but it really isn't always the case.     Good luck.

                  Fen

                  • June 30, 2011 at 10:29 pm
                  Fen
                  Participant

                    Mark –  I was convinced that mel had metastasized to my liver, too.  After many tests, much waiting, and much anxiety it finally went away. Nothing.  My PCP suggested it may have been a back injury with referred pain, but I think it was just me being neurotic.   I'm not suggesting this is the case with you, but there are lots of things that cause pain.  Our first thought is mel, but it really isn't always the case.     Good luck.

                    Fen

                    • June 30, 2011 at 10:39 pm
                    JTA
                    Participant

                      Could be diverticulitis.  I had abdominal pain/issues and that's what it turned out to be. 

                      • June 30, 2011 at 10:39 pm
                      JTA
                      Participant

                        Could be diverticulitis.  I had abdominal pain/issues and that's what it turned out to be. 

                        • July 1, 2011 at 2:21 am
                        King
                        Participant

                          HI Mark,

                           

                          Really try not to jump to any conclusions.  I did have mets to my liver and I had no symptoms.  My 3.4 cm mets was found on a routine scan.  It grew to 4.5 cm before I had surgery and I still had no symptoms.  I now have the pain that you describe but it's from scar tissue from the surgery.

                          Oh, it could be so many things and it could be nothing.  Take a deep breath and try to hang in there.  And BTW, this was in 2005 and I'm still here and doing quite well.

                          Keep us posted.

                          Stay Strong

                          King

                          Stage IV  7/05 Liver mets

                           

                          • July 1, 2011 at 2:21 am
                          King
                          Participant

                            HI Mark,

                             

                            Really try not to jump to any conclusions.  I did have mets to my liver and I had no symptoms.  My 3.4 cm mets was found on a routine scan.  It grew to 4.5 cm before I had surgery and I still had no symptoms.  I now have the pain that you describe but it's from scar tissue from the surgery.

                            Oh, it could be so many things and it could be nothing.  Take a deep breath and try to hang in there.  And BTW, this was in 2005 and I'm still here and doing quite well.

                            Keep us posted.

                            Stay Strong

                            King

                            Stage IV  7/05 Liver mets

                             

                            • July 2, 2011 at 6:55 am
                            DeniseK
                            Participant

                              Hi Mark,

                              I was having Headaches waiting for my PET Scan and Brain MRI which is next Thursday and Friday.  I'm so anxious and nervous I could be causing the headaches by stressing!  Researching it only made me more anxious because it said Brain Tumors could be causing the problem.  From what I've heard cancer isn't painful until it gets really bad!  Most people don't even know or have any symptoms until it's too late.  I know it's a long weekend ahead but maybe on Monday ask your doc for some xanax!  I got some yesterday and I had no headache today!  The stress with all this is tremendous and stress can do weird things to our bodies!!  Hang in there and try to keep busy and your mind on other things.  I know it's easier said than done!!  Also from what I've read the Interferon can really take a toll on your body so it could be that!!  I'm hoping for the best for you!!

                               

                              Denise

                              • July 2, 2011 at 6:55 am
                              DeniseK
                              Participant

                                Hi Mark,

                                I was having Headaches waiting for my PET Scan and Brain MRI which is next Thursday and Friday.  I'm so anxious and nervous I could be causing the headaches by stressing!  Researching it only made me more anxious because it said Brain Tumors could be causing the problem.  From what I've heard cancer isn't painful until it gets really bad!  Most people don't even know or have any symptoms until it's too late.  I know it's a long weekend ahead but maybe on Monday ask your doc for some xanax!  I got some yesterday and I had no headache today!  The stress with all this is tremendous and stress can do weird things to our bodies!!  Hang in there and try to keep busy and your mind on other things.  I know it's easier said than done!!  Also from what I've read the Interferon can really take a toll on your body so it could be that!!  I'm hoping for the best for you!!

                                 

                                Denise

                                • July 2, 2011 at 2:16 pm
                                nicoli
                                Participant

                                  For two weeks in June I had sharp pains in my neck/ear area. Because it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, I  was thinking it must be melanoma in my lymph nodes. (Made sense because I had scalp melanoma)

                                   At the same time, I had a slight sore throat so I was trying to make myself believe it was a virus. I waited 2 weeks and it went away on it's own. I am now sure it was an ear thingy due to the virus.

                                  My sister is a uterine cancer survivor and had a pain in her side which she was sure was the cancer returning. She really freaked out and didn't sleep for a week while awaiting her doc appt. Turned out to be a bruised rib.

                                  This is not to say you shouldn't call the doc asap. But it could be something other than melanoma.

                                  Nicki, Stage 3b

                                  • July 2, 2011 at 2:16 pm
                                  nicoli
                                  Participant

                                    For two weeks in June I had sharp pains in my neck/ear area. Because it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, I  was thinking it must be melanoma in my lymph nodes. (Made sense because I had scalp melanoma)

                                     At the same time, I had a slight sore throat so I was trying to make myself believe it was a virus. I waited 2 weeks and it went away on it's own. I am now sure it was an ear thingy due to the virus.

                                    My sister is a uterine cancer survivor and had a pain in her side which she was sure was the cancer returning. She really freaked out and didn't sleep for a week while awaiting her doc appt. Turned out to be a bruised rib.

                                    This is not to say you shouldn't call the doc asap. But it could be something other than melanoma.

                                    Nicki, Stage 3b

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