View Full Version : Second Opinion
I finally got around to having my biopsy slides from my first ever endoscopy (9/'01) sent to Johns Hopkins Pathology for a second opinion. Why now? First of all I never questioned my first pathology report. This was before I got deeply involved with GERD and Barrett's forums. I read and read everything I could find from medical journals to thousands of posts by people who were in the same boat. After a while the shock of being diagnosed with beginning Barrett's wore off. My symptoms were controlled with medications. I started wondering after my biopsy reports from my second and third endoscopies came back with no Intestinal Metaplasia seen. Was the originally diagnosed Intestinal Metaplasia covered over with normal cells, was it removed with the first biopsy, or was it a sampling error and the doctor was missing it? I first read about "the second opinion" on the Johns Hopkins Barrett's forum. I also found out I could do this all on my own. I then considered that I might be bringing more stress into my life (the whole wait and worry scene) or if the original diagnosis was confirmed it would dash all hopes I had that maybe I was misdiagnosed. Well I just up and did it. The following is 1) my original biopsy report from local lab. 2) JH's second opinion report. Four slides (duodenum,gastric,gastric polyp and esophagus) were included in the reports so I'm only displaying the esophagus report.
1) Fragments of Gastroesophageal mucosa showing mild chronic non-specific inflammation with focal hyperplastic changes consistent with reflux esophagitis. A minute focus of Intestinal Metaplasia is seen. No dysplasia present.
2)Cardiooxyntic-type mucosa with chronic inflammation. Separate and adjoining fragments of squamous mucosa with reactive epithelial changes of the type that can be seen in gastroesophageal reflux. No Goblet Cells characteristic of Barrett mucosa of the distinctive type are seen. Note: The esophagus shows reactive squamous epithelial changes of the type that can be seen in gastroesophageal reflux and glandular cardiooxyntic-type mucosa with chronic inflammation. In the slide available for our review we did not see the focal intestinal metaplasia originally reported, as such there is no Barrett's mucosa of the distinctive type and no dysplasia or carcinoma on the slide reviewed.
For those of you who have been recently diagnosed with Barrett's alone or with dysplasia,(especially if you are contemplating surgery) or for those of you in which subsequent biopsies do not show Barrett's..........the second opinion may be an invaluable option.
Thats great news. I am sure it gives alot of peace of mind. Does your treatment they have you on work good for controling your gerd? You may have learned some of the most valueable information out of the deal anyway. I am sure you take your gerd more seriously than you would have if not for the barretts. I know I sure do. I think a person gets a crash course in just how serious gerd can be. The down side is all the stressing we do when we think we have it.
tricia
07-31-2004, 02:15 AM
Hi Daw isn't that something. Actually i'm not that surprised since i have read about the problems defining Metaplasia-- and your subsequent endoscopies. Also have been dragging all of my tests around to get rereads. Have been getting a lot of laughs out of it. Everyone sees a picture totally differently. It's really mind boggling.
There is a huge problem with Barretts diagnosis though , wouldn't it be interesting if you got a second reread ? Best to quit while you're ahead maybe :D Even the simple diagnosis of esophagitis is controversial. I know a couple of people who after going to a second GI .... were told , that wasn't esophagitis at all .
Bet you are glad you sent the slides in now . It sure must ease the mind. :)
Tricia,
Yes I am going to quit while I'm ahead. What has peaked my curiosity is what the first pathologist saw that led to the original diagnosis. I'd love to sit with a pathologist and that slide and pick his(her) brains. For instance I actually had 4 pieces of esophagus taken but only one esophageal slide. I found that JH has a site that explains how biopsy slides are made. For example, in my case, it appears that even though there were 4 pieces of esophagus from the endoscopy, they were combined into one cassette and probably solidified as a single specimen. Then a shaving was taken for a single slide. So just because you have 4 biopsies of the area does not mean all four are treated separately. At least that is my take on it. JH does save the original solidified specimen for future shavings and slides. I'm not sure if my local lab does this.
Anyway, I probably would like to take a class in histology/pathology but will have to save that for another lifetime.
tricia
08-05-2004, 02:49 PM
Daw I don't blame you , we should all quit when ahead :D Isn't that sueable? That's mental anguish. Wonder if anyone has ever sued over that specfic issue?
It's an interesting field , had no idea they did biopsy slides like that. Don't think they are all done that way however. It got me interested so i've been reading, i find pathology very confusing though., way more so then radiology.
Tricia, I just wanted to tell you that it seems to be the norm that people receive an erroroneous Barrett's diagnosis. On the JH board we hear of more people getting a reversed diagnosis with a second opinion than what we hear of Barrett's confirmation. Thats overall a good thing but imagine the stress of living with it for many years and then finding out you don't even have it..The key words for any Barrett's diagnosis seems to be "goblet cells". Almost everyone that gets reversed had no mention of goblet cells on their original EGD or path report. No such luck for me but I'm always happy to hear of reversals. I think Daw should treat herself to steak and ice cream....BTW, how are you feeling these days?....Take care,
Tessa
.....Isn't that sueable? That's mental anguish. Wonder if anyone has ever sued over that specfic issue?
In order to sue you need verifiable damages from the error. I think I would have a hard time convincing a lawyer that I had any actual damages due to mental anguish. Now if a person, for example, committed suicide over the erroneous results the family might have some recourse but then the defense lawyers could try and prove mental instability regardless of the results situation. Another example.....In the past I had a breast biopsy done and later found out the results were erroneous....when I called a lawyer I was told unless I ended up with breast cancer (verifiable damages) I had no case.
Also just because JH came up with a different result doesn't mean the first path was wrong....to legally prove the first path was wrong would take quite an investigation...especially since there seems to be some confusion/disagreeement over what actually defines Barrett's. Note the first Path never said Barrett's only Intestinal Metaplasia which in many doctor's eyes is Barrett's. After JH looked at the slide one can only wonder what the first Path saw and where. Can drive a person to distraction.
tricia
08-05-2004, 05:01 PM
Yes steak and ice cream and a bottle of champagne for Daw.:D I can just imagine the number of people who still beleive they have Barretts and aren't aware of descrepancies in testing. I hope it helps some people who read Daw's post
Am still alive but not feeling very well Tessa . And my mother will be here for a 10 day visit in about an hour. While on prolonged antibiotics my face started swelling and paining really bad, at first they thought a staph or strep skin infection . now she is saying most probably scleroderma or lupus. I don't really beleive her, she's never been right with anything yet, but as you know the thought is scary. Some tests came out bad, tp coagulation test etc -- won't really know until Tuesday. Is there facial swelling with scleroderma along with tightness? The swelling is on my cheekbones and going up my temples and both sides of my forehead. Also around my nose.
Have a confirmed UTI as well , and visable blood in my urine , with a temp of 102 something. She wants to wait on antibiotics because of my recent reaction, but i'm unsure if that's right or not . I don't want to get kidney damage. I realize now and never should of agreed on it -- that prolonged antibiotic use is bad, and the root problem should be sought. aggressively. Guess i'm going to have to get out there and pound the pavement again.
Hope everything's ok with you. . :)
Hi Tricia, I knew you hadn't been feeling well but I didn't realize all this was happening. As for fevers, face swelling and pain. The answers are all yes. Mornings are the worse for me. Every morning I have a fever and many times of 102 or a bit higher. Usually by afternoon it goes away. The face swelling I thought was more from the prednisone than the illness but who knows anymore..My jaw is what is so tight and painful, then it has rebound effects by making me sick to my stomach, from the pain I think. My knees are the worst for the joint pains..Every morning I tell myself I don't want to do this anymore, but by afternoon I'm usually feeling alot better....I am taking antibiotics all the time and even some usually in my IVs....I dont even know what all they put in that IV anymore...My Dr. wants to add a new drug but we are having problems with the ins. as they are already covering so much and the enbrel is thousands of dollars a month..I dont even know what my medications total cost is a month but I know I would be broke very soon if I had to pay for all of it...Tricia, I try to deal with it this way...I make myself stay in a good mood, I find things amusing to smile at and I spend alot of time with my grandkids. They refuse to let me get in the rut of sitting for to long or feeling sorry for myself...Getting in that rut would be easy for me as my husband is out of town so much and noone else here. The grandkids coming all the time helps alot.
I hope you get better news than a scleroderma diagnosis or lupus for that matter...If you want to talk in an email please ask Hawk for mine...I will be thinking about you and wishing the best at your Dr. appt. on Tues. Please let me know how things go...Dont wear yourself out while your mom is visiting, I bet she would be happy to help you with things that you dont feel like doing. Mom's are like that..Take care,
Tessa
tricia
08-07-2004, 12:16 AM
Daw I just saw your post, missed it. You're right, you sure have all of the angles figured out. It would be hard to sue. I think a class action suit might be feasable though , if a bunch of people at the same facility got together and tried something. Aren't there any national written guidelines for Barretts diagnosis put out by the AGA ? By Anybody? It sounds like mass confusion.
Tessa Thanks for the kind words and the helpful information. Your note lifted my spirits . You sure have a good attitude about your illness . Will let you know how things go :)
Emily
08-20-2004, 06:30 PM
Hi Tricia,
You seem to have the symptons my sister-in-law had for years and then was diagnosed with lupus. For a long time she thought she had MS and then that was ruled out then ruled out rheumatoid arthritis. If it is lupus there is a milder form that can be treated well. She is not taking steroids, but doing it holistically and succeeding now for almost ten years. Emily
tricia
08-21-2004, 09:56 PM
Hi Emily Yes My doctor suspected lupus at first or some other systemic disease, but now claims that has been ruled out. I plan on additional testing, and hope to find the answers soon.
That's interesting about your sister.
olive
08-25-2004, 07:33 AM
Tricia,
hope you feel better today. I remember a post where you said you may try anti-allergic drugs. Is it still your plans, did you try it ?
In a message I posted recently, I said that doctors knowledge can be very low after a while because knowledge is something that must be kept up-to-date by being curious, reading publications and always trying to rule out if there is no other way of seeing the problem. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors are not curious or open-minded enough and simply stick to patterns they have learnt at school and that are sometimes obsolete thus possibly leading to hazardous situations.
I was just giving general thoughts in this message and could not imagine that I was about to experience that
My sister has troubles with her throat since February this year. It is sore, red and her vocal cords have been diagnosed as atrophied. The ENT she visited proposed some vocal training sessions and, if this fails, a risky operation of the vocal chords. Of course, with my GERD problems, I said to her that this could be the result of reflux and not the only result of the way she talks, I urged her to ask the doctors to eliminate the reflux possibility. She asked and was answered by the ENT that her problems can't be caused by reflux. I convinced her to see a GI or another ENT. She got the same answer. Unfortunately, while time was passing, talking was getting more and more difficult for her. She was really suffering but was reluctant to see another doctor.
It was enough for me, I gave her some gaviscon and some PPIs to take and guess what : her situation greatly improved. This finally convinced her to visit a GI who told immediately that reflux can be the problem. Now, she is scheduled for an upper GI on saturday. May be it is not reflux may be it is, we will see. But she may never have known with the untrained doctors she visited.
Anyway, to cut short a long story and assuming that my sister has LPR too, don't you find strange that we both have the same problem and that the symptoms started to be noticable nearly at the same time ? I am wondering if there are GERD/LPR families, althought I think we are the only two personns who have this problem in our family .
Any other people here having close relatives with the same problem as they have ?
Best
O.
....Anyway, to cut short a long story and assuming that my sister has LPR too, don't you find strange that we both have the same problem and that the symptoms started to be noticable nearly at the same time ? I am wondering if there are GERD/LPR families, althought I think we are the only two personns who have this problem in our family.....Any other people here having close relatives with the same problem as they have ?
Hi Olive, I have read many an article that brought up the possibility of a genetic link with GERD. My brother and his daughter started suffering from GERD just about the time I started. If I remember correctly, my Mother had occasional swallowing difficulties (never checked out) and my Father had stomach problems with certain foods. So, yes, I do believe in the genetic predisposition of many different GI problems.
olive
08-25-2004, 12:17 PM
Hi Olive, I have read many an article that brought up the possibility of a genetic link with GERD. My brother and his daughter started suffering from GERD just about the time I started. If I remember correctly, my Mother had occasional swallowing difficulties (never checked out) and my Father had stomach problems with certain foods. So, yes, I do believe in the genetic predisposition of many different GI problems.
Hi Daw,
does you GERD started after a particular event that could have touched your relatives too ? I am wondering if the death of my grand mother and of my father in January, even though we were prepared, could have triggered something. Indeed, my sister started brutally to lose her voice in February and I started more gradually to have LPR from the beginning of the year ...
I know I have a background GERD problem since several years but it was very managable. My sister may have also silent GERD since a long time, we don't know yet. But I am trying to understand if stress and anxiety, even though it is quite unconcious for me, are not my major trigger as all the doctors I have visited said. My mother has some reflux too but not much more than most of the people. But we all have similar personnalities. We are hyper active and anxious people.
O.
Did your GERD start after a particular event that could have touched your relatives too ?
No not really. I believe my Brother and his Daughter started getting GERD symptoms due to their diet, weight and stress (my Brother was dealing with a newly diagnosed illness). I have since been told that they are both off PPIs and doing well. My Brother now uses only an OTC antacid before meals.
My GERD symptoms (mild to moderate heartburn) started during a very stressful job....basically burn out. I was not over weight, I exercised and my diet was a healthful one but I was going through menopause which brings up the hormonal link. I probably had silent GERD/LPR for quite some time and did not know it. Looking back, I did have occasional mild hoarseness after giving presentations or interviews but just thought it was due to dryness. After an endoscopy, my GERD symptoms were relieved with an H2Blocker. Then after excessive post colonoscopy vomiting, I started developing hoarseness, achy neck and scratchy throat every two weeks. Nexium was added and it went away. I have been on Pepcid and Nexium ever since and can not get off of them. Subsequent endoscopies show much improvement but always mention mild chronic inflammation at the junction. If I stay on the meds my symptoms are controlled and I can eat most anything in moderation but usually stick to a GERD friendly diet. In my case, I have no doubt that stress/anxiety exacerbate any flare ups as does trying to decrease my meds.
olive
08-25-2004, 01:24 PM
I have read several posts refering to achy neck. What kind of dolour is this ? Is it some kind of muscular soreness or the kind of diffuse dolour you have with a light tonsillitis ? Is it something related to GERD ?
I ask this because I have some sort of muscular dolour at the base of the neck in the back when I do a specific movement. Never had this before and have this since months. I am not anxious at all about that but curious this could be linked to my LPR.
O.
I have read several posts refering to achy neck. What kind of dolour is this ? Is it some kind of muscular soreness or the kind of diffuse dolour you have with a light tonsillitis ? Is it something related to GERD?
This is one of the the symptoms I get with, what I believe, is LPR. It almost feels like I'm getting the flu but no fever or achyness anywhere else in the body. If I palpate my neck glands/nodes they are sore. My throat is not sore but may be scratchy and my voice may be a little hoarse. If I try and take a deep breath it feels like I have to cough. You would think some kind of bacterial or viral infection would be doing this but it goes away quickly by itself or with GERD meds in one or two days. Sometimes I almost think it is an allergic reaction to the refluxate that gets into my larynx/pharynx. When I was examined by an ENT doctor he only saw weak vocal cords and no inflammation but then I wasn't having the symptoms at that time.
I'm not sure about your muscular neck problem. The fact that you need a specific movement to cause it doesn't sound like it is GERD/LPR caused. We have to be careful not to attribute too many problems to our GERD/LPR. Have you ever mentioned this problem to your doctor? Have you considered muscle tension?
olive
08-25-2004, 03:26 PM
> It almost feels like I'm getting the flu but no fever or achyness anywhere else in the body.
I know exactly what you mean. I have discovered that, for me, this symptom is caused when acid is reaching the bottom of my nose (you know that tongue movement can pull acid out of the throat up to the mouth or even to the base of the nasal cavity). As soon as I feel the flu like headache, I chew a lot of chewing gum and it stops within in a couple of hours.
> The fact that you need a specific movement to cause it doesn't sound like it is GERD/LPR caused.
I agree with you it is just your "achy neck" words which made me curious. I think my neck "problem" is probabely muscle tension. Anyway this is really nothing.
O.
tricia
08-25-2004, 04:27 PM
Hi Olive and Daw :) There are a lot of people on this board who have posted before that their various family members also have GERD. Interesting that vomiting brought on all of those additional symptoms Daw.
I also do believe in the genetic predisposition of many different GI problems. I also beleive that GERD unfortunately has numerous causes, not just one-- .such as both inherited or aquired structural abnormalties , a defective gene , medications, or numerous other things including some we aren't even aware of yet. I think there could be some connection to anxiousness , as an exacerbator definately. Anything more I'm unsure but not closed to the idea.
Here is something concerning pediatric gerd http://www.reflux.org/reflux/paghomfa.nsf/pages/genetic.htm Pittsburgh * Through DNA analysis of families with multiple victims of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), researchers at the Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) Center for Genomic Sciences have become the first in the world to identify a genetic marker for GERD, mapping a gene for the disorder to chromosome 13q14 of the human genome sequence. The discovery, reported in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, offers the promise of more effective therapy or even a cure for GERD, which strikes an estimated 10 million children and more than 40 million adults each year in the United States alone.
That is interesting about your sister Olive . Would be curious to see if tests reveal the suspected problem . And i agree with what you said completely about doctors and lack of open mindedness. --- which indeed can be hazardess .
Thanks for asking Olive I'm ok. Hope you are doing ok too. :) I was supposed to have an IVP test today but they refused to give it to me, for several reasons. I am disappointed . I sat in the waiting room for almost 3 hours before they came out and told me they would not be doing the test.
I Have not tried the medication yet, but i fully plan to try it. -- probably next week. I'll let you know if it helps. Thank you very much for that suggestion.
I also agree that there seems to be a genetic cause for alot of GERD and Barrett's families...I have Barrett's and one of my brothers was just diagnosed with GERD/LPR, my Dad was treated for years with tagamet for a HH. Although he never had any diagnostic tests and later died from coronary rupture, which may have meant that heart conditions may have been responsible for a misdiagnosis of the HH and chest pains.
All the GI specialists I have had believe there is a genetic cause for GERD and Barrett's and even EC...In the next several years I would imagine we can expect to learn more on that topic...I know that one of the studies going on is looking for defects in the P6 and P53 genes in relation to Barrett's progression...I guess we just have to be patient and wait for more time to get definite answers. Atleast we have an illness that seems to be getting alot of attention in the area of research, trials, etc...
I'am 6 days from EGD and biopsies and so nervous that I am awake for 2-3 days at a time right now....
Tessa
tricia
08-26-2004, 10:33 AM
I just found out recently that my father had GERD too , funny enough, it came to head right after an accident like me . He never went to a doctor though , but bought antacids by the bucket. I think many people didn't go to doctors back then. Even now :) He died at a really young age of colon cancer, was diagnosed in his late 30s.
My oldest sister's son has GERD too. He's 11 now, but i always figured that was probably from his fathers side of the family, not my bloodlines-- that is until i heard about my father. It makes me wonder. I have 3 sisters though, all very healthy , and my mother is a perfect specimen of health.
Hey Tessa It seems just like yesterday that you had a scope. Another one so soon? You're surely not nervous of the test itself, your a pro at scopes. Must be of the results. You may be wasting a lot of energy on worrying, things may very well be just fine. Remember, worrying is bad for the health. I always tell myself not to worry about such things, after all worrying doesn't change things. :) It's a non productive act. We gain nothing from it.
Hi Tricia,
Your right, I did just have a scope in June...I'am the professional EGD "receiver" at this point and I'm not at all worried about the procedure. Actually, I have had so many I almost look forward to the "versed" induced state of total restfullness and entering oblivion for even a few minutes...
It is results that make me nuts! To top it all off I have been waking with sores on the inside of my mouth and on my tongue...I thought it must be some reaction to the IV drugs....(WOW, I should probably clarify that for people that don't know me, I take a medically prescribed IV each week, given at the hospital, for my scleroderma) When I saw my Dr. this week I had a couple on my tongue and showed them to him who studied them for awhile and then pronounced them to be "acid burns."
Its all very strange, how is that much acid getting into my mouth at night when I have had no heartburn since surgery? I know I still reflux because my EGDs and biopsies show progressing damage but I don't understand the mechanics of it.....LES looks good since surgery so how is it getting past the LES to keep causing damage, or does the things entering my mouth just hang around in the esophagus so long that it turns to acid and refluxes up in my throat and mouth?....Or, is it still some unknown way the scleroderma is attacking me? All these questions and no answers....Enough to make a totally sane person (which I may not be any longer) nuts!!!
How are you feeling?
Tessa
tricia
08-27-2004, 01:15 PM
Hi Tessa You still sound pretty sane to me anyway. :) My understanding of scleroderma-- is that it can affect the esophagus in a number of ways , not just the LES itself. I've read it often affects the muscle and peristaltic function as well.
So Even lets say if your LES was functioning normally , (because remember, everyone refluxes acid, even healthy people without GERD reflux acid up to 50 times a day)---
So if your LES was ok-- which you'd accurately be able to tell on manometry---the ability to allow acid and other materials OUT may not be ok. That ability to clear acid is impaired with a fair number of patients with scleroderma.
People have varying degrees of esophageal involvement. So a fundo wouldn't help some of these problems depending on the degree of esophageal involvement, or the fundo may not last--because the scleroderma can still cause ongoing changes to the esophagus.The operation just fixes the damage the disease caused, but the disease is still there. It's frustrating .
But the upside :) And we must always focus on that the most. :D I say better the esophagus than other places. The esophagus can be effectively treated with PPIS and is well understood and well monitered. You may have a fear of Barretts developing into something more , but the stats are very low since the advent of PPIS in treating scleroderma related Barretts. Not so when only H2s were around .
I find it funny Tessa That you have no symptoms now despite acid damage Guess it's not uncommon though . http://www.gerd.com/articles/abstracts/446.htm But isn't it nice that surgery took away symptoms-- and it did make other improvements like lengthening the esophagus which is important.
Don't see how the doctor could tell for certain what the sores are . Tessa How many PPIS are you taking? Has the doctor discussed upping the dose?
Thanks for asking about me. I'm hanging in there . Good luck with your scope
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Hi Tricia, :)
Well I'm not so sure I'm not having symptoms of my GERD I'm just not having any heartburn symptoms...The mouth and tongue burning is very non-pleasant..I do have to agree with my Dr, on him believing they are acid burns, because that is exactly what they feel like..They are small and SOOOO sore..They don't hang around long though...I may have a couple of them in the morning and maybe by afternoon they are pretty much gone but next morning back again....Also, recently every morning, when I first wake up I'm having a spasm...Before I have even taken a first drink of water, as soon as I stand I'm having one...Something is definitely going on in there....
I'm not sure if I told you about my June EGD or not but it wasn't a good EGD...At the time I thought it was ok, and having other more pressing medical stuff to deal with, the Barrett's had kind of taken a back seat..You know having IVs, fighting side effects, trying to keep walking...I kind of dumped the Barrett's onto my GI and had the attitude "you worry about this for me and I'll worry about the other stuff." I didn't receive my usual postcard after my EGD and didn't worry about it either, so I didn't call for the results..Last week of JULY I receive a letter from my GIs office telling me I need to call the office and make an appt. because recent tests indicated the need for MORE tests..
I call and they tell me I cant get in until August 30th. because my Dr. is going to Pakistan that coming weekend. (and will be gone for weeks)..That was on a thurs. and I thought I couldn't stand not knowing what was wrong for 5 weeks....My husband called them and spoke to the Dr. who had me come in the next day to talk with him...
Remember the pathologist that caused all the uproar over a year ago reading my slides at high-grade? Well he did it again!! Except this time they were also read by the top pathologist at our local hospital who also read several areas at high grade....My GI wanted to send me and my slides back to CCF.I said I dont want the slides sent any where..I have some hangup about too many shavings being taken off the slides and maybe not getting accurate readings.
My decision was to wait out my GIs Pakistan trip (why in Gods name does he want to go there anyway?) have him and an associate of his do the EGD next Tues. (31st.) and then send the slides (all slides) directly to JH and not have them read at all locally..I want JH to have first shavings of them....
In the meantime I have spoken alot to my PCP and my Rhuemy about all this, not to mention having many discussions, with my husband, about WHAT I WANT to do about this...I'm not sure why this EGD is making me so nervous because I cant see myself willingly having surgery again.....I dont think I could anyway and neither does the rheumy.....
So, thats where things are with me right now and im also some what depressed over the Dr. telling me he wants me to start supplementing the weekly IVs with HARD CORE pain drugs at home daily...(I was having a hard time walking at the hosp. for my IV the other day and the nurse must have called the Dr.) Such as Oxycodone or percocet, etc.....That makes me feel like a street junkie and I dont want to start it...I imagine if the joint pains get bad enough I will welcome them but not yet...I did agree to a prescription of Ultram but I keep putting off using them...I would think all these anti-inflammatories would do a better job with the joints..I don't want to start narcotics.....
Now, I'm waiting for your update!!!
Tessa
...My GI wanted to send me and my slides back to CCF.I said I dont want the slides sent any where..I have some hangup about too many shavings being taken off the slides and maybe not getting accurate readings.
My decision was to wait out my GIs Pakistan trip (why in Gods name does he want to go there anyway?) have him and an associate of his do the EGD next Tues. (31st.) and then send the slides (all slides) directly to JH and not have them read at all locally..I want JH to have first shavings of them....Tessa
Tessa, I think shavings are taken from biopsy specimens to make slides. Once the slides are made they are not changed, so sending them out to be read will not change them. JH should be sent the biopsy specimens so they can shave them and make their own slides. Is this what you are doing? Correct me if I am wrong.
Daw, lol...You and I must be online at the same time...
Yes, that is what I meant...I don't want anything or anyone doing anything with the biopsies from the time they are taken until JH receives them.....
Tessa
tricia
08-28-2004, 11:17 PM
Hi Tessa No, I was not aware of the results of your June endoscopy , that is not very good news at all. Hopefully it's a false alarm like before, and J H will find this not to be the case.
Strange your GI sends letters to inform you of bad news, That's kind of cold, never heard of such a thing.
Various ablation procedures can be tried as an alternative to surgery if surgery is not viable for you, but hopefully everything will work out ok and the news will be all good. :D . I'm really drug phobic myself so i understand exactly where you're coming from concerning the drugs.
Nothing new to report concening myself. Have a few yellow bruises on my face now, which is new, along with all of the other stuff. Seeing the surgeon on Tuesday, same day as your scope, and still waiting for an appointment with the hematologist.
Yes Tricia, that was what seemed to be very disheartening over the entire thing with the June EGD...You know I have always bragged up my local GI..The way things usually work at his office is that I always call just a few days after my procedure and ask for results and then I find out if I need to come back in or can wait for awhile...In addition to that I get copies of my reports and I also receive a postcard about 2 weeks following my tests, which I usually dont even pay attention to because by then I already have my reports.....But this last time, I just let things ride thinking they would notify me if need be....Was actually very relieved when I didn't hear anything...In fairness to my Dr. though, when I did receive this letter in the mail 5-6 weeks after the tests, my husband noticed the date on the letter was just several days after my EGD had been performed, which means it laid on someones desk for a long time before it was found and mailed.
I doubt any of it really makes a difference in the whole picture of things. I would have waited and had my local GI redo the EGD and biospsies anyway...I just trust him to do them and have developed a good connection with him.....
I will be thinking of you this coming week and wishing you the best of luck with your appts. and tests.. :)
Take care,
Tessa
tricia
08-30-2004, 02:47 PM
Hi Tessa I would of thought for something as serious as that, your doctor's office would of picked up the phone and asked for you to come in and chat -- and not sent a letter in the first place . Anyway as you said, it makes little difference in the scheme of things ---
More important, you trust his abilities
I finally got an appointment with the hemotologist , for Sept 14th. Am very glad because this burning all over my face, head etc., is annoying and worrisome , just want to know if it's blood related. I want some answers .
Good luck with your scope tomorrow Tessa, will be thinking of you and hope everything turns out very well . :)
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