I'm in no mood to blog. I'm feeling numb. But here goes:
Ethanol ablation procedure today. No big deal...been there, done that. It'll be fine. It'll hurt. I'll offer it up, as I always do...
But, last evening I got the results of my lung CT. I requested it...glad I did! Findings with my comments inserted in highlight:
EXAM: CT CHEST WITHOUT IV CONTRAST
COMPARISON: Chest CT 11/6/2012
FINDINGS:
Stable thyroidectomy. No small soft tissue pulmonary nodules to suggest metastatic disease. Tiny calcified granuloma right lower lobe. Scattered areas of linear scarring in the right middle lobe, left upper lobe and lingula as well as both lower lobes. (None of this is alarming. Scarring is probably from four bouts of Covid and various other respiratory infections. Granulomas are no big deal.)
Tiny calcified lung granulomas.
Interval development of a large approximately 100 x 70 mm (YIKES - that's a grapefruit!) soft tissue mass within the posterior inferior pleura which appears to originate from a prior 18 x 10 mm pleural nodule overlying the posterior right hemidiaphragm. Findings suggestive of enlarging fibrous tumor of the pleura (Dr. Google says this is 80% benign...so that's reassuring). No pleural effusions.
No lymphadenopathy. Tiny esophageal hiatal hernia. (I haven't even bothered to look into this because it's nothing in comparison to the grapefruit!)
New mild 31 mm dilatation of the main pulmonary artery, previously 24 mm) which can be a sign of pulmonary arterial hypertension. (The only research I've done indicates that 29 mm is the high end...so 31 mm is no big deal. I just had an echocardiogram last year. This goes on the back burner until I deal with the grapefruit!) Heart size normal.
Slices through the upper abdomen negative.
Old right rib fracture.
3D maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were created on a dependent workstation as ordered by the treating provider and reviewed by the radiologist to increase sensitivity for detection of pulmonary nodules.
IMPRESSION:
1. Large 100 x 70 mm soft tissue mass in the region of the posterior inferior pleura which appears to originate from a 18 x 10 mm pleural nodule overlying the posterior right hemidiaphragm on chest CT of 11/6/2012. Findings most likely represent enlarging fibrous tumor of the pleura. (So I came in early to Mayo today to get ahead of the expected snow. I took the shuttle to avoid driving later today. I went straight to my provider's office and spoke to scheduling. I'd like to see the proper expert here at Mayo while I'm here. I don't know if that's a pulmonologist or a thoracic surgeon. I did some research last night and it seems that the proper course of action is to remove the grapefruit, get clean margins and then figure out what it is. Biopsies seem to be skipped over since it has to come out either way. This is all I know at this point as of 8:42 a.m. on March 19th. I'm waiting on scheduling. I'll stop back at their desk after the ethanol ablation. I'm hoping the impending snow storm creates cancellations and someone will see me. I'm pissed at the radiologist who read my local chest x-ray from November that indicates everything is normal. Everything I read suggests that this is very visible on an x-ray. It's allegedly slow growing. So why wasn't a flag raised in November?????? Ugh. I'll let that anger go and focus on the path forward. In the meantime, my decaf chocolate latte is delicious and the next step is the ethanol ablation. No fasting required!)
2. No new pulmonary nodules and no adenopathy to suggest metastatic disease in a patient surgical history of thyroidectomy and thyroid cancer.
I'll update when I know something. Prayers are welcome! I'm praying for all of you. St. Daria is the patron saint of lung issues. I'm keeping her busy!
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