Blood Test / CT Scan Results

So this last week has been a very long week for me. I only worked 3 days but it felt like eternity. I am guessing it was due to my upcoming doctors appointment today. I got the results of my CT scan and bloodwork back. The results are about what I expected but the doctor was able to clarify some things for me. The doctor ordered blood tests of my Alpha Fetoprotien and hCG levels. My AFP results were 5.4 ng/mL. Now, I dont know what that means but the reference level where it should be is less than 8.1 ng/mL. So my AFP is good. My hCG is less than 2.0 mIU/mL and the reference level is less than 10 mIU/mL. The tumor marker found in my blood is 2.6 ng/mL and the normal range is 6.1ng/mL. So bloodwork looks really good and the oncologist sounds positive that I am in good shape. The CT scan revealed a very small nodule on my right lung but he was not concerned about it. Its 5mm in size which is too small to biopsy. With my tumor markers as low as they are, it doesnt seem to indicate that there are any new tumors about to pop up and thus the cancer has not spread anywhere. Thats what we want to hear !!! To be sure, I am going to do a PET scan tomorrow. The CT scan results were a little bit limited due to the fatty tissue (beer gut) causing the beam to not read 100% accurately. Nice !!! Another reason to get into shape so modern medicine will not fail me. The doctor gave me 2 choices. One was to do 2 rounds of chemotherapy or to observe and monitor with quarterly blood tests and CT scans. I am electing to go the surveillance route. So my official diagnosis is Stage 1B testicular cancer and the tumor is classified as pT2 which means that the tumor is limited to the testis and epididymis. That is about as good as I could have hoped for. This feels like the best course of action to prevent any future complications with infertility and to not subject my body to the rigors and side effects of chemotherapy. Hopefully the PET scan will not reveal anything that was not seen on the CT scan. I will post an entry once I get more info. Thanks for the support and the love shown. I hope that other men will take action if they find anything out of the ordinary and not wait to seek treatment. Please spread the word about my blog and story to others who may find it useful. Thanks again for the love and support.

CT Scan

So the last 20 hours have been a stomach's worst nightmare !!! I had to drink 2 450 mL Barium Sulfate suspension "smoothies". The instructions were to drink the first one 1 hour prior to bed the night before your test and the 2nd one 1 hour before the test. The first one I had was banana flavored. Not too bad. I has able to manage it in about 3 drinks. The effects on my stomach were not so good. I was up for about 3 hours last night with major indigestion. I didnt have a big dinner and have been eating sensibly so I am blaming the drink. This morning, I drank the 2nd one. Mixed Berries. It was AWFUL !!!!! I almost spit it up a few times. It was the worst. I went to the appt and was very surprised to learn about the procedure. I guess I should have done my research or asked questions to better prepare myself. First off, I had to wear a hospital gown. Was not ready for that. Nothing like sitting in a cold, drafty waiting room wearing a gown with total strangers sitting around you. Luckily, my wait was not very long. I went in the the CT room to see this huge donut looking machine. I laid on the table and the testing began. I was moved through this opening where I guess pictures were taken of my chest, pelvis and abdomen to look for abnormalities associated with cancer. The entire procedure took about 20 minutes or so. The iodine that they injected me with left a terrible taste in my mouth and a very strange feeling in my hands. Its only temporary so no long term effects. Anyhow, looking forward to a restful weekend and spending some holiday time with the family. I am doing some bloodwork/tests next Tuesday and will probably put a post up after that. So, enjoy the weekend and be safe.