Spent the day in the hospital yesterday

[bluebird777]

I have been dealing with thyroid cancer. The doctors are now saying that I don't have thyroid cancer anymore that it looks like a lymphoma.  I was sent over to the hospital yesterday because they thought that I might have an obstruction in my carotid artery. Turns out...it's just lymph nodes that are swelling and pushing against the carotid. My airway is not obstructed as of yet...so no surgery thank goodness.

However my labs did not come back looking so good. Can someone tell me what they think of these values?
I'll put down just the values that were off.

ALT  27
Total Bilirubin 1.65
Total Protein  9.2

WBC 14.00
MCH  32.7
Neutrophils  78
Lymphocytes  17
TSH  6.9
Free T-4 1.9

[Londres70]

Hopefully, this patient advocate can help you out or at least point you in the right direction.  

Any low cost-free clinic nearby?  Any teaching hospitals nearby?  

[bluebird777]

No...my husband has a small drywall business. We make enough money to pay our day to day bills most months...but not enough to cover $748.00 a month for my insurance.  He let the insurance go last May when the doctor told him that I was fine and I worry too much about cancer. I just wanted to crawl up in a ball that day. But there was nothing I could do. The doctor told him I was ok. He was wrong! Now I'm screwed!  We definitely don't have that kind of money right now. We are barely getting by. The winter months didn't bring enough work...and things are hard. I'm sure we aren't the only ones getting hit financially...but right now...it just seems like my world is falling down around me.

I'm talking with a patient advocate tomorrow and hoping to get some help. For the first time in my life Londres...I'm genuinely scared! Don't get me wrong...I've been scared about things before and always somehow worked through it. This time...I don't think I'm gonna be as lucky.

[Londres70]

You don't have medical insurance/coverage thru your husband?  

[bluebird777]

After being many calls. My oncologist doesn't even do the test. He sent me to the hospital...who in turn sent me to another oncology clinic. They charge 305.00 for the test then the pathologist charges $2,500.00. I simply don't have that kind of money and everyone wants it up front. So here I go again. I guess that is just my luck. Thanks for your response.

[Londres70]

$15,000 for a bone marrow aspirate, huh?  I don't know about that.  Something does not sound correct.  

Well, find out what is going on.    

[bluebird777]

Yes...I got what you meant. I have meantioned bone marrow aspirate before and he said it would cost 15k...which I don't have. Gonna do some checking and see if that is really how much it costs. Thanks Londres!

[Londres70]

FNA is NOT the same as a Bone Marrow Aspirate.  Call the Oncologist's office and see what can be done.  

[bluebird777]

I've been told that I am more in-tune with my body than most and I can detect what is going on before they can clinically. I don't know if that is true or not...but to some degree it is starting to make sense to me. Last April...I had an FNA on one of the lymph nodes in my neck. The results showed lymphoid dysplasia. The comments were not enough sample taken and a lymph node dissection was suggested with flow cytometry. The endo doc told me that I no longer had thyroid cancer and it looked more like a lymphoma. So I was sent to a ENT to get one of the lymph nodes removed and have the flow cytometry done. This time the results were lymphoid proliferation. The lab tech did not send the sample off for flow cytometry because I don't have insurance. I was floored by this. The ENT told me I'm fine and there is nothing to worry about. I talked my doc into sending me to another surgeon to remove one more lymph node to be tested as I still was saying the cancer is back. So another doc removed one more lymph node and it said the same as the last 2.  So the doc told me to quit worrying about cancer and live my life that I had an infection. Over the last year...I've had 7 courses of antibiotics and the nodes just keep growing. Before the docs couldn't feel what was going on with my left side. Now they are large enough to be felt by someone else besides me.

My take on it is kinda like the boy crying wolf. Because I could tell something was up before they could...they are not taking me seriously. It's really frustrating. I have put in calls to my oncologist and sent him the recent blood work and copy of the cat scan. You'd think he'd want to see me before May and see what we can do. The other part of this is the money factor. I'm with you an FNA is the right way to go.  I don't want anymore surgeries on my neck. I've now had 5; 2-surgical biopsies and 3-radical dissections.  

I'm gonna call the oncologist again on Monday and see if I can get in to see him earlier.

Thanks again Londres!

[Londres70]

I meant Bone Marrow Aspirate, not FNA.  

[Londres70]

I will take a look at your other labs in the Thyroid Cancer forum.  You need that FNA to confirm Lymphoma more than the PET or MRI if you can't get the imaging done.  

Why is the Oncologist not convinced?  What does he think is going on?  

[bluebird777]

Thank you. Yes...you have mentioned this before. I'm getting bounced back and forth from my endo doc and my oncologist right now.  The endo says it looks like lymphoma and the oncologist say's he's not convinced. The real problem is I no longer have insurance and I can't afford the PET or an MRI to confirm. I have been asking for at least a thyroglobulin level to rule out thyroid. If you look at my other thread under thyroid cancer, nodules and hypothyroidism...I posted all of the values. Even the ones that are within normal ranges are still very close to not being normal. The lymph nodes are getting worse. I am pushing for an FNA to confirm. I feel helpless right now...feel like a ticking time bomb. Was hoping that my thoughts were wrong. But after 7 courses of anitbiotics...I know it's some kind of cancer...getting the diagnosis seems to be the most difficult for me.
Thank you for your reply!

[bluebird777]

I wish someone would answer. Here are what the normal values should be.  The whole left side of my body is riddled with lymph nodes. Some of them are quite painful.  They are even to the left of my breast.

ALT  27                    30-65
Total Bilirubin 1.65     0.1-1.0
Total Protein  9.2       6.4-8.2

WBC 14.00               4.5-11.0
MCH  32.7               27.0-31.2
Neutrophils  78         36-66
Lymphocytes  17      24-44
TSH  6.9                 don't know
Free T-4 1.9            don't know