OK...lets get this done and over with since I know I have to live with this now and get everything figured out as soon as possible....

In July, I was having some issues in the abdominal area and the Gastro ordered a CT Scan of the area...upon recieving the initial report everything was fine...then I recieved an Addendum a week later...a 16mm soft tissue mass, non aggressive, showing no signs of movement from all different views...Although Malignancy cannot be 100% ruled out, this is more likely a mesentric/omental cyst or desmoid tumor...Had 3 different doctors and radiologist look at it and they agreed that we should have a scan in 3 months..

Well I could only wait 2 months...went back and got another scan but at a different hospital, mass was still there, same size 17mm X 15mm, however this radiologist scared me a bit by saying this could be a primary or scecondary malignant mass or LYMPHOMA...All other organs were unremarkable...

Please also not that I had a CT Scan of the Head and Chest which showed nothing but some scar tissue in both lungs...

The lyphoma part caught me by suprise...I have no swollen nodes in the neck, armpit or groin area...Can this really be Lymphoma...

Hi, I can understand your concern but, yes, it could be lymphoma...but does not have to be!! My lymphoma is in the mesentery and only showed up on a ct scan...no other symptoms. I do have a slightly enlarged groin node but most doctors thought it was just a reactive node. However, I have no others, none in the chest area and yet it is in my bone marrow. Have they suggested a biopsy? That is the way my diagnosis was confirmed. It seems they want to wait and see if the mass changes in the next few months but it is not easy on you to have to wait!

Hopefully, they are right and it is just a cyst but you will feel much better when you are sure.

Love and prayers,

I am actually going for the CT Guided Biopsy next week, they said this would be the best way to get at the mass without being invasive and determining what it is first...I have nothing else anywhere other than 3 nodules in my lungs that are 3mm and have not changed at all over time....

Allision what is your treatment like, are you doing the Rituaxin like Debbie or are you also getting Chemo...thoughts...did you guys have any effects on your bones, pain etc....

If this is Lymphoma, which I am starting to believe that it is...as a 27yr male without activity anywhere else, well maybe the bone marrow, what are my chances of suriving and going into remission...

I have had CT Scans of the Pelvis, Abdomen, Chest/Thorax and Brain and they have only found this in the Abdomen Mesentric area...is this a good thing??

Again if this was Lymphoma, would there be swollen nodes in other places if there was some type of metasizing?? Sorry for all the questions??

You are getting too ahead of yourself! I think the CT guided biopsy is a good idea! There are so many types of Lymphoma (40, I believe!) and so many treatments that it would not be appropriate to talk about prognosis and treatment options at this point when you do not know that you have lymphoma. If you do, the chances of remission are very high. In the indolent kind, which is mostly in people older than you are, it is mostly incurable but very treatable. In the more aggressive kinds, it is curable. Debbie, please correct me if I am going wrong here!!

I am on Rituxan, Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide for Follicular Lymphoma Grade1 Stage 1V. I had some nausea after my first treatment, and have since felt pretty well.

The fact that you have no enlarged lymph nodes other than in the mesentery, has to be good, I would have thought.

Let us know how the biopsy goes and try not to worry..I know that is hard, but no point in worrying until you really have something to worry about! Hopefully, you will not!

Love and prayers,

I think I am way past the point of worrying right now Allison, if there was involvement in other places of the body would there be swollen nodes...I am stressing so hard right now I am starting to get hives...my god I am not going to make it through the next week or so before the biopsy...

you could have them where you can't feel them, abdomen, chest, etc

Ash, I know exactly how you feel. I was in that same place May and June of 2005. I know it's horrible, terrifying, unreal. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, lost about 15 pounds from stress. I thought only the worst.
I want you to know that this time next year you'll still be here. You'll be even better than you are now. Any chemo for lymphoma, if you even have lymphoma is very doable. You'll survive this. You'll find out it's not so bad. Just ask all of us here...right Alison??
It's the new normal. You live with it and you wake up and it's not the first thing you think of and it's not the last thing you think of at night. You make long range plans because you know you're going to be ok. Please try to trust me. It's not a death sentence at all. Things settle down and get normal again. My treatments were easy...simple.
In fact, I'm getting ready for a cross country road trip and I'll be away from home for 6 weeks. I won't be missing any appointments or treatment or anything. Believe me when I tell you that having lymphoma has shown me many blessings that I have. My life is better now than it was before, if you can possibly believe that. And I was the picture of health before all this started. I was never sick, never felt sick, never felt tired, had no restrictions. And guess what....I still feel exactly that same way.

Debbie...but my question on the nodes would be I just had a complete body scan Abdomen, Pelvis, Chest and Brain last week that did not show any swollen nodes, they would have shown this right?? I am assuming so, that is what a CT Scan is for correct??

The CT scan would show all the lymph nodes whether or not they are enlarged.

Debbie thanks, well I guess that I know that the remainder of my lymph nodes are not involved...they are saying that this is a soft tissue mass adjacent to the ascending colon, non aggressive and does not change something when looking in different views...I am assuming that would eliminate sarcoma or something of that nature...All of my organs are claer around the area, my brain is clear, lungs are good....

Please pray for me as I do for all of you...

Sounds good. Hang on there.

I am sorry for all of this, but there is no way that I am going to make it, I have already convinced my 27 year old brain that this is all over, Whether it is lymphoma or not I am convinced that I have cancer, I can feel the pain in my bones, muscles, joints, etc...

I need help, there is no way I can wait for the biopsy on Thursday and then the entire weekend for a report...:confused:

Ash, call your pcp and get someting for your anxiety you are running wild. Which is prefectly normal, I know I did. So now I have ativan, and it calms you down then you can think things through rationally.
Did you have your ct pet with contrast, because that would really show stuff. Things will light up. And if nobody said anything about anything lighting up so that is another good sign.
Take care

Beck I had the CT With contrast, I have not had the PET yet, would a CT with contrast light up as well...please help me...

The Ct with contrast shows everything much clearer. The PET is what lights up. And that would be the enlarged lymphs.

Ash, I've been reading your posts and am sorry for all you are going through right now. Please try to calm down, I know easier said than done. You are the age of my oldest son and my heart goes out to you. I always pray for my children to have health first and then happiness. And the same goes for you too. The people on these messages boards are terrific and like them, I am also praying for you too. Please keep us posted on your tests and how're you're doing. :angel: Love, Linda

Allright can someone please just let me know this...would this 16mm mass that I have in my abdominal region that is not inside any organ...which is not showing signs of spreading to any organ or brain cause all of these symptoms I am having~

Lower back pain
middle back pain
neck pain
stomach pain
Abdominal pain
racing heart
sweats
nausea
fatigue
anxiety

Or am I reading to deep into this and becoming crazy, I am seriously stressing. I am assuming if it spread everywhere like I am imagining I would be seeing more vomiting, weight loss, etc...

Please God help me!

I'd say that at least the last 5 things on the list are being caused from the anxiety.

OK just one last time...an Pelvic and Abdominal Ct Scan with COntrast would show enlarged lymph nodes correct...I just want to make sure that it the case...

I am so stressed I am breaking out with rashes...why am I doing this to myself...

I just read that Lymphoma has can cause Hives...I am done for sure...what am I going to do with this...please tell me there is a cure...I need to get some medicine as soon as possible for this anxiety..I am going crazy....sorry for rambling, I feel better typing...

Hi Ash,
I don't have lymphoma but have been in your shoes having to go thru ct scans, mri's and then an excisional biopsy of an enlarged node on my neck back in 1997.
Take the others advice and call your doctor to get on an anxiety medication because you're thoughts and worries are causing havoc on your body physically and mentally. all the symtoms you mentioned are symtoms of anxiety and it can make you feel like you're dying.
I'm sorry to hear what you're going thru. talking is the best thing and writting is the best thing. so if this helps relieve your anxiety too, then by all means continue writing. you're not being a pain or rambling at all.
that's why we have these boards. to support one another.
waiting is the hardest thing. we imagine the worst. I wish you the best results on your procedure and maybe you won't have to wait too long to hear back from them.
IF, and I say IF, it is a form of lymphoma, it is not a death sentence.
just hearing or knowing you have the big "C" is enough to make us scared.. which is expected. once you are diagnosed then you should do some further research. we all want immediate answers. but sometimes we can't have what we want when we want it. this is teaching you patience.
take a deep breath and remind yourself that you don't have a diagnosis yet of lymphoma. lymphomas are treatable. they say if one is going to be stricken with any cancer, that this is the type to have because it's treatable.
Science has come a very long way and more and more studies are being done on this type of disease and they know how to stop it.
please try to keep yourself busy while you're in the waiting process.
I understand that your mind is constantly thinking about it. mine would be too.
I wish you the best outcome.
best wishes,
Linda

:( I know that I should relax, but at this point I feel as though I know I have cancer, either a sarcoma or lymphoma , I am sure of it....I have the CT guided biopsy tommorrow hopefully they can get enough tissue to make a diagnosis, otherwise they may have to do the little incision surgery to get at it, the surgeon said they would not have to open me up for this..well the time is ticking and the mind is racing...

Ash, the procedure will be a breeze. I glad it is tomorrow. I thought it was another week. Stop reading the internet, sometimes the information may not be accurate or out dated.
Please let us know tomorrow what the outcome is.
And we always check the health boards so if you need anything hollar

Tomorrow morning I will have the procedure, and then probably sometime next week I will have the results, the hospital that I go to is usually pretty quick with the results, being that my sister works for a doctor, she is able to pull the reports relatively quickly and let me know what it going on, I should know by Monday what is going on....tough times...I am already exhausted mentally and physically, I cannot deal with this much longer...

Call your pcp right now and get something for anxiety. You can take it the night before surgery. Just check with your doctor first

I have narrowed the possibilities down...this is growing outside my ascending colon, which means it is either some type of Lymphoma or Sarcoma...and that is that...only a few more days to await my fate...

Allrighty, well I am 14 hours away from getting my CT guided Biopsy for this mass, once again hoping that it is benign, please pray for me as I will for you...I feel a little more confident with reading the radiologist reports that are saying most likely benign...keep putting that into my head....it also says no node involvement, putting that into my head as well...times a ticking...I am praying for a miracle...

Well the CT Biospy was done, I guess it well and then it did not...They were not able to get into the mass, however they did get a little and it was fluid and blood, but the radiologist felt it may not have been enough...Now on to better news, because they focused specifically on this area with the CT, allowing them to zoom directly on the nodule/mass...they were able to see that there was no fluid around it, no change in attenuation and that it was not a lymph node...they were also able to see that none of the lymph nodes around the area were effected, so that is the good news...Based on seeing what he did and how mobile this mass was, moving around everytime he tried to get at it with a needle, they were 99% sure it is some type of cyst or fluid build up, It is not attached to anything, no organs, vessels, etc...so it is now once again a waiting game...3 months to see if it grows...so far over the last 3 months, same size, same shape, no change in attenuation and no fluid build up...I am relative confident this should be nothing after they described to me the location and what was around the nodule...Wise me luck...Praying for all of you!

Hi Ash, this sounds like really good news and you certainly seem much more relaxed. The fact it has not changed in size over the past three months, together with its other features seems to suggest it is benign. I am so glad and wish you all the best!

Love and prayers,

Sounds good, Ash. Time to relax and just forget it as much as possible. Maybe you should celebrate a little?

I have been waiting to hear from you all day. ( My doc won't let me work due to infections I guess )
Sounds real good Ash. I glad thing looked good.
I hope you are feeling much calmer. Did they do general or just twilight.?
Did you get anything for anxiety?
Please keep in touch. I start my Rituxan tomorrow and I am nervous only because I am med phobic.
Take care

Becky, just to encourage you tomorrow....I was very nervous with my first treatment but the relief when it is finished and you realize you did not need to worry makes it almost worth it!

Love and prayers.

Becky, I love Rituxan. It's all I've ever had and it put me into remission. I was diagnosed at stage IV. It's the best stuff. The benedryl made me tired during the treatment, but I went to the treatments alone and drove myself home. It wasn't a big deal for me at all.

Thank you guys for the replies. I had my chemo talk yesterday. And its seem pretty simple. The nurses said sometimes they see the reaction ( if any) before I would notice it. She said that they have very few side effects, and if they do they stop give more benadryl and demerol and then start at a slower infusion. This is just me. She said I could take my ativan before I go. Or she could put in the line. I want both HAHAHAH.
Will let you know tomorrow how things turn out. Once I get thru the first hour I will be fine.
I am soo glad Ash feels better. He was really going thru a hard time.
Thats what these boards are for.

Take care

Thanks ladies, I am much more relaxed right now, they tried and tried to get a good sample of this bad boy but it jus kept moving around, there were very surprised that it was not attached either to the small bowel or ascendin colon which was good news right away, then they noticed no fluid, no canged in attenuation and no inflammation around the area and the DR was telling all this while trying...I am going out for a little today...not doing to much obviously I am a little sore as they tried mving the needle around for about 45 minutes before they decided that enough is enough...I am satisfied for now...thoughts ladies and gents??

Hey Don't U Worry About It I Have The Solution 4 U The Best One The Unique One!! Guess What !! I'm Very Sure That U Go Through A Lot Of Suffering But Not Anymore You Know Why Because I'm Your Friend And You Can Always Cound On Me And Trust Me The Solution Is God (jesus) He Is The Solution I Have A Lot Of Faith, And I Know That If You Believe In Him He Can Cure You And Make U New. Take Care Of Your Self And He Is The Solution Just Remember This If You Tell Him All Your Problems He Is Going To Help You Because He Loves You And He Made You.take Care Love Always Your Friend Mary!!