susiemitch
09-07-2008, 11:00 AM
Hi my name is Sue.
In Jan my 40 year old husband started having night sweats. They got so
bad that after a few weeks we went to the doctors and were sent to see
a consultant. He sent him for an ultra sound scan. Half way through the
scan they stopped it and said he needed a CT scan. This was done on his
gallbladder. we went back to see the doctor and were told he had sludge
in his gallbladder and they would remove it. He was checked for tb
which was ruled out. When bloods were removed for testing a massive
yellow bruise appeared on his arm which we blamed the tecnician's
method for this
He had the op in March to remove the gallbladder. The night sweats
carried on. he also started having breathing difficulties, these would
come on for no apparent reason, they were not unlike the symptons for
asthma, our GP gave him an inhaler, The next thing was an itching all
over his throat, again we put this down to the asthma or maybe hayfever
Six weeks ago a lump appeared in the middle at the bottom of his back,
the doctor said it was a cyst. He then started to get very tired and
lathargic and lost his appetite. Next he started with tummy pains
around the site where the gallblader was removed from his lower back
also started to give him a lot of pain.
Last weekend he was very tired and not well at all, the night sweats
were bad although he does not get these every night. On Monday a tiny
red spot appeared in his chin, it started to bleed and we could not
stop it, it bled so much and for over a hour, we just thought we had
stopped it and it started again. The other strage thing is his
temperature, he is hot one minute and cold the next, this has only come
on in the last couple of weeks. On Tuesday we decied it was time to
sort this out once and for all.
We made a appointment with the GP. She examanined him and said his
liver was very enlarged, she also examanined his back when she touched
his left side he nearly shot through the roof it was painful. She
checked him for swollen gland but did not say if she found any. She
said she was very concerned and made us an appointment for Thursday
with a specialist.
We arrived for the apponitment, the doctor gave him a full
exaimation, and took all his history, he then told us that he thought
is was Lymphoma, we were so shocked. He had bloods taken and full CT
scan is booked for monday, the doctor said this will not show Lymphoma
but will show any swollon glands and point them in the direction of
which gland to take a biopsy from.
What I am finding hard to belive is that this could have been
missed in March when they operated on him to remove his gallblader.
Also how can the doctor come to this diagnosis by just examination and
history. Can any one throw any light on this, we are both in total
shock and just want the weekend over. What happens now? how is Lymphoma
diagnosed? with the info we have is it possible to identify if it could
be hodgkins or non hodgkins or the level/stage of the disease or is
this determined from tissue samples. If any one has any answers I would
be very gratfull.Sue
_________________
Sue
In Jan my 40 year old husband started having night sweats. They got so
bad that after a few weeks we went to the doctors and were sent to see
a consultant. He sent him for an ultra sound scan. Half way through the
scan they stopped it and said he needed a CT scan. This was done on his
gallbladder. we went back to see the doctor and were told he had sludge
in his gallbladder and they would remove it. He was checked for tb
which was ruled out. When bloods were removed for testing a massive
yellow bruise appeared on his arm which we blamed the tecnician's
method for this
He had the op in March to remove the gallbladder. The night sweats
carried on. he also started having breathing difficulties, these would
come on for no apparent reason, they were not unlike the symptons for
asthma, our GP gave him an inhaler, The next thing was an itching all
over his throat, again we put this down to the asthma or maybe hayfever
Six weeks ago a lump appeared in the middle at the bottom of his back,
the doctor said it was a cyst. He then started to get very tired and
lathargic and lost his appetite. Next he started with tummy pains
around the site where the gallblader was removed from his lower back
also started to give him a lot of pain.
Last weekend he was very tired and not well at all, the night sweats
were bad although he does not get these every night. On Monday a tiny
red spot appeared in his chin, it started to bleed and we could not
stop it, it bled so much and for over a hour, we just thought we had
stopped it and it started again. The other strage thing is his
temperature, he is hot one minute and cold the next, this has only come
on in the last couple of weeks. On Tuesday we decied it was time to
sort this out once and for all.
We made a appointment with the GP. She examanined him and said his
liver was very enlarged, she also examanined his back when she touched
his left side he nearly shot through the roof it was painful. She
checked him for swollen gland but did not say if she found any. She
said she was very concerned and made us an appointment for Thursday
with a specialist.
We arrived for the apponitment, the doctor gave him a full
exaimation, and took all his history, he then told us that he thought
is was Lymphoma, we were so shocked. He had bloods taken and full CT
scan is booked for monday, the doctor said this will not show Lymphoma
but will show any swollon glands and point them in the direction of
which gland to take a biopsy from.
What I am finding hard to belive is that this could have been
missed in March when they operated on him to remove his gallblader.
Also how can the doctor come to this diagnosis by just examination and
history. Can any one throw any light on this, we are both in total
shock and just want the weekend over. What happens now? how is Lymphoma
diagnosed? with the info we have is it possible to identify if it could
be hodgkins or non hodgkins or the level/stage of the disease or is
this determined from tissue samples. If any one has any answers I would
be very gratfull.Sue
_________________
Sue
Sponsor
pinkmada
09-07-2008, 01:43 PM
Hi Sue,
I'm sorry you and your husband have been through such a tough time. I can fully understand the anger and shock you must be feeling at how they missed this on the first scans and the possible diagnosis. i had a similar situation (although very different symptoms) and it took them 9months to finally diagnose me even though they had told me all pervious scans were clear. good old nhs huh?
once they have done the scan to determine where the swollen glands are, he will have a biopsy of the gland. it is specific cells they will see on a microscope if it is hodgkins or non hodgkins - there is no other way to determine this. they will then (usually) do a bone marrow biopsy to determine whether or not there is involvement there. the staging is usually stageI nodes affected above the diaphragm. stage II nodes affected below the diaphragm. stage III nodes both above and below affected (and any lymphatic organs such as the spleen) and stage IV is when there is also other organ involvment, commonly the liver or the brain and/or bone marrow infiltration.
the symptoms your husband has shown, the night sweats, fevers, itching are known as B symptoms.
his oncolgist/haematologist will then decide what is the best treatment. they take into consideration age/height/weight/stagin of disease/presence of B symptoms etc. some people recieve a combination chemotherapy, others both chemo and radiation therapy and some just radiation.
lymphoma is one of the most treatable and curable forms of cancer. i once had a doctor tell me that if he had to be diagnosed with any kind this would be it.
anyways, please keep us informed. if you have any other questions please just ask. and i pray that everything works out well for you and your husband.
take care
amanda
xxx
I'm sorry you and your husband have been through such a tough time. I can fully understand the anger and shock you must be feeling at how they missed this on the first scans and the possible diagnosis. i had a similar situation (although very different symptoms) and it took them 9months to finally diagnose me even though they had told me all pervious scans were clear. good old nhs huh?
once they have done the scan to determine where the swollen glands are, he will have a biopsy of the gland. it is specific cells they will see on a microscope if it is hodgkins or non hodgkins - there is no other way to determine this. they will then (usually) do a bone marrow biopsy to determine whether or not there is involvement there. the staging is usually stageI nodes affected above the diaphragm. stage II nodes affected below the diaphragm. stage III nodes both above and below affected (and any lymphatic organs such as the spleen) and stage IV is when there is also other organ involvment, commonly the liver or the brain and/or bone marrow infiltration.
the symptoms your husband has shown, the night sweats, fevers, itching are known as B symptoms.
his oncolgist/haematologist will then decide what is the best treatment. they take into consideration age/height/weight/stagin of disease/presence of B symptoms etc. some people recieve a combination chemotherapy, others both chemo and radiation therapy and some just radiation.
lymphoma is one of the most treatable and curable forms of cancer. i once had a doctor tell me that if he had to be diagnosed with any kind this would be it.
anyways, please keep us informed. if you have any other questions please just ask. and i pray that everything works out well for you and your husband.
take care
amanda
xxx
dannyp
09-07-2008, 10:06 PM
You should insist on seeing an Oncologist asap.