Utahmomma...

[metrogal39]

Hi Utahmomma: Well here's what my Gastro Dr had to say and the results of my CT: I will need ANOTHER colonoscopy since I have a "serrated polyp/adenoma." Must be done in the hospital this time because of it's positioning and possibility of bleeding. I must admit I'm confused.I don't understand why he didn't tell me right after my colonoscopy.Is the CT capable of detecting these polyps??? And maybe he was waiting for all the results?? The CT made no mention at all of the mass that both my Breast surgeon and Gastro Dr. were concerned with. When I questioned him further, he did another manual pelvic exam and still felt it. He said it could be thickening of the abdominal wall or fatty tissue. When I asked, "well how will I know," I was told I could have an MRI done and that I should see my Gyno. Which I had every intention of doing and did. I have an appt. Tuesday. As I probably have already mentioned, I had been having discomfort in my right groin and occasionally down the leg for a few mos. But, until my visit to my BS and his concern with my getting to the Gastro Dr., I was attributing it to a minor thing with getting on a skooter for the first time and straining my right leg. To the best of my recollection, I don't remember discomfort til then. Now, since all my exams and scopes, it seems to be bothering me more. I use the word "bothering" purposely because since joining this forum, and listening to everyone's experiences and sypmtoms, mine are far from unbearable. And they are not constant. I'm really having a hard time understanding why CT did not pick up mass.

[utahmomma]

He's wonderful!  I hope he works out for you.

[Lissy1]

Hey I just scrolled down and saw your message that Jason Johnson was your obgyn. Thanks! I do live near SLC. Even better he is covered by my insurance.  Hopefully we'll be a good match. I still want another child so hopefully thing will work out.

[metrogal39]

Thanks so much for your replies.

[metrogal39]

Wow! I think what I really need is a heavy duty Shrink. Thanks and please see my resonse to yours.

[utahmomma]

You don't need a shrink - just straight answers from your doctors.

Call your doctor's office and tell them you need to get in and talk to your doctor - not while you are drugged up but one-on-one in his office - and get some straight answers.  He/she needs to sit down and level with you what the original results were, what this new polyp means, why it wasn't detected before, and what he/she suspects it may be.

As for Gastroenterologist handling everything in your abdomen, you'd be surprised how territorial doctors can be "down there."  My internal medicine specialist, my Gastroenterologist, and my OB/GYN were all referring me to each other do determine my abdominal pain.  Grrrr.  My wonderful surgeon who handled my thyroid surgeries and also does abdominal surgeries wouldn't touch my ovarian mass.  It's like they have little lines drawn in the sand of our bodies.  :-(

As for the lymph nodes, you have two sets of lymph nodes in the groin area which are both inguinal lymph nodes:  deep and superficial.  The results didn't mention anything abnormal about the nodes, did it?  Simply mentioning that the nodes are visible on the scan doesn't mean anything extraordinary.

Talk to your doctor and get him/her to level with you.  Ask what his/her suspicions are and whether or not you need to see an OB/GYN too and whether or not you should have laparoscopic surgery to visualize what's going on in your abdomen.

Sorry I don't have more answers, push the doctor, please.

[metrogal39]

Hi Utahmomma: Thanks for your response. My tests were just as you say. I had a pelvic sonogram before my colonoscopy. Which all they told me after that was they saw a very small cyst on my left kidney. Returned for my colonoscopy,(done in his office) after which still a bit groggy and being rushed, he told me something about a lesion which he biopsied that was benign.(If I remember clearly)He never mentioned the serrated polyp at that time. After reading yours and Rue Rue's responses, shouldn't he have seen it thru the colonosopy? Or as I said, did he just not tell me at the time. But, when he finally did mention it after the CT, he didn't say it was picked up in the CT. And nowhere in the copy of the CT written report I have does it make any mention of anything polyp related. He then ordered a CT with contrast as you mentioned. I did read with great interest and copied, Rue Rue's thread. That coupled with your's confuses me even more. If the CT is everything each of you say, why hasn't it, or the Dr. been able to tell me more about this mass they feel? The CT does state "no intestinal obstruction or free air." It also mentions scattered subcentimeter bilateral inguinal lymph nodes.Do you know what this means? Is he just not leveling with me? Is this mass out of his realm and therefore advising me to see Gyno? I'm becoming more and more concerned and anxiety ridden. In all fairness, I must admit, I used to be stronger, but lately I tend to tense up and therefore my memory becomes blurred. Do you think when he says it might just be a thickening of the abdomen wall or fatty tissue that's genuine or again out of his field? As a laymen, I would think a pelvic mass falls within the domaine of a Gastroenterologist. Please correct me where you think I'm wrong.Thanks so much.

[Helmar]

Hi... let me just say, colonscopy is good for detecting cancer if it's IN the bowel, but as in my case, the wretched thing was working OUTSIDE the bowel, so accordingly, the colonscopy came back as negative, so please keep this in mind if your Doctor tells you that your colonscopy is o.k.. My ovca was detected eventually by Ct scan.
Wishing you all the best....Helmar...

[metrogal39]

Top of the mornin to ya. You are right again. The report just mentions lymph nodes. In all fairness, and I can drive myself nuts with fairness. I'm fair to everyone but myelf! But, one of the first questions the Gastro asked me was when my last Gyno visit was. And after finally giving me all the good news, did suggest I see my Gyno as I mentioned earlier. But, it's not like they stress it's importance. It's almost like they are aaying it in passing. Like when I asked regarding his saying it might just be fatty tissue or abdominal thickening. Not until I asked, so what can be done, did he suggest an MRI. And, Utahmomma, as flusterred as I admittedly am, I was preparing myself to call him until my oldest son, who accompanied me for the results(at my request because I knew I would not be entirely focused and forget)told me to calm down, put my trust in my doctor and that the Dr. probably wanted to gather all the results before telling me the serrated polyp good news.

[utahmomma]

I'm not an expert in medical tests (RueRue does have a great post) however I know that when I was having sever pain in my abdomen post ovarian removal I had the CT with contrast in addition to the colonoscopy.  The colonoscopy is best to look at the structures inside your colon and the CT is good for looking outside your colon.

However, realize that any CT, MRI, ultrasound, PET scan, etc. won't be nearly as conclusive as either a colonoscopy (for inside the colon) or a laparoscope inside your abdomen.  

"Imaging" versus actually looking at the structure with a live camera are very different.  "imaging" can help narrow down the range of possibilities but cannot give an accurate diagnosis (e.g., couldn't tell if my ovarian mass was cancerous or not).  A live camera with immediate biopsy capability (colonoscopy or laparoscope) give real diagnoses.  

I am guessing that your upcoming colonoscopy at the hospital is because the doctor is concerned with the serrated polyp and wants to not only remove it at the time and biopsy it but have the ability to do more immediately if necessary.

[SimplyStar]

Please read the posts by Rue Rue   under the "can all these doctors be wrong"  she is a tech in the MRI  field and her answers are good.