Holy hell.

[rivka]

They weren't metastases. They were points of fungal infection.

She found out when she got a phone call from the eminent pancreatic surgeon, who had dimissed her from his service when the report of metastatic cancer came in. Now she's a candidate for surgery again, although they'll need to do some chemo first to shrink the tumor.

The odds are still not good. But at least they're no longer zero.

...But who the hell tells someone they have untreatable metastatic cancer when they're not sure? Isn't that insane? And this, from Johns Hopkins?!

Comments

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

well, at least they were reasonably sure it wasn't lupus. it's never lupus. ;)

i'm glad she's got a better prognosis now. it sounds like the past week or so has been pretty hard on her (and you all) though.

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

Maybe they *were* sure. Just *wrong*.

Not that it's any better.

But at least the prognosis has improved somewhat.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Nod. That's my thought, but it's still got a creepy component to it, where I'm wondering "does this mean she's extremely lucky they decided to do one more thing to verify, because otherwise, they wouldn't have treated her?"

I'm *really* glad that the prognosis is better.

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

It's a big argument for second opinions, at any rate.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Ack! Well, I'm glad the news improved the prognosis, even if only by correcting the prior error. Grmph to them.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

Wow.

The mystic side of me, which hardly ever gets an airing, is saying "Maybe they were metastases, and the power of all the people hoping and praying for her turned them into mere infections". So the rational scientist side of me has got a chair and is busy hitting the mystic over the head. It's not pretty.

[deepstarrysky.livejournal.com]

My first thought was: That's how magic works - the test results get "reinterpreted". So I'm grateful to hear from your mystic side that I'm not the only one who thinks that way.

(Wincing on behalf of your mystic's head, and hoping that a mediator gets them to sit and talk instead...)

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth Rivka. About 25 years ago I was told that my cancer was inoperable too and given less than a year. I got different doctors, different treatment and hey, I'm still here. I sometimes get depressed about things like not being able to have kids, or some of the odd side effects of treatment (weird GI problems), but then I think, "hey, still here."
Anon

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

And I meant to add I hope her results are like mine only better!
Anon

[kate_nepveu]

Wow.

Just, wow.

And best wishes to her.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's, um, okay, it's not great news, but it's certainly *better* news. But, yeah -- that's not the sort of diagnosis you want to get wrong.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

I'm torn between being pissed that she and her family had to go through that and happy that things are slightly less dire.

[going-not-gone.livejournal.com]

That's a hell of a mistake to make, but at least the change in diagnosis was a positive one. Here's hoping for even more positive results from chemo and surgery.

[redbird]

But who the hell tells someone they have untreatable metastatic cancer when they're not sure?

Adrian suggests, someone who thinks there's only a very small chance that it's not, and wanted the patient to have a chance to say goodbye to her family.

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

Yay for better odds, and GoodThoughts continuing...

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Prayers and good thoughts continuing.

[clstal.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. WOW, just WOW.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

Talk about mixed feelings! May she live to tell this story to her grandkids.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

That's just... like others said above, wow.

Best of luck to her.

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

oh, thank goodness!