Update on my Dad

[LindseyRN]

The pulmonologist hasn't actually said he wants to go ahead with the surgery. Dad is scheduled for a follow up with him on Wednesday for biopsy results, but of course he is still going to the appt. even though his biopsy was cancelled. I'm just wondering if he will still want to take it out because the nodule could not be biopsied...like "I don't know what it is, so it's better to just remove it altogether," know what I mean?

If the pulmonologist does want this, I feel like that is a drastic move for a lesion that has shrunk by 50% in 6 weeks? (And, yes, I know I am worrying about this prematurely.)

[MikeG-2012]

The pulmonologist hasn't actually said he wants to go ahead with the surgery. Dad is scheduled for a follow up with him on Wednesday for biopsy results, but of course he is still going to the appt. even though his biopsy was cancelled. I'm just wondering if he will still want to take it out because the nodule could not be biopsied...like "I don't know what it is, so it's better to just remove it altogether," know what I mean?

If the pulmonologist does want this, I feel like that is a drastic move for a lesion that has shrunk by 50% in 6 weeks? (And, yes, I know I am worrying about this prematurely.)

Someone has to be the bulldog Lindsey. If it is one thing I've learned with this stupid disease is that there is no ONE textbook. We each are writing our own as we go along. As authors of our own history, we need to make sure we are our strongest advocates for ourselves and/or our loved ones. So go get 'em! (-8

[LindseyRN]

Someone has to be the bulldog Lindsey. If it is one thing I've learned with this stupid disease is that there is no ONE textbook. We each are writing our own as we go along. As authors of our own history, we need to make sure we are our strongest advocates for ourselves and/or our loved ones. So go get 'em! (-8

Oh, I am good at being a bulldog, Mike! Thanks for the support!

[annekat]

I don't know much, but my intuition says that if the mass has shrunk that fast on 3 weeks of MTX, it is a lot more likely to be a Wegs lesion than a malignant tumor. I know that the doses of chemo given for cancer patients are a lot more than what we get for WG, so I imagine his dose of MTX would be considered very small to shrink a cancerous tumor. I had scattered smaller lung lesions and they were shrunk over a period of weeks with CTX, which is usually preferred over MTX for lung involvement. So if the MTX is shrinking this lesion that fast, it would seem he is doing quite well. This is looking at the best possible scenario, I guess, which I hope turns out to be true, if it has been established that he has WG. The last thing we need is for him to have a malignant tumor on top of Wegs.

[Alysia]

pred alone cleared my lungs. 60 mg. so maybe it is the pred. anyway shrinking is good news
how much pred did he take so far ?

[annekat]

pred alone cleared my lungs. 60 mg. so maybe it is the pred. anyway shrinking is good news
how much pred did he take so far ?

I was on 60mg. pred, too, so can't be sure if it was the pred or the CTX or both. But mine were small lesions. I'd think a big mass, or nodule, or whatever they want to call it, would take more meds to shrink than a bunch of small lesions. I don't know this, though.

[LindseyRN]

pred alone cleared my lungs. 60 mg. so maybe it is the pred. anyway shrinking is good news
how much pred did he take so far ?

He has been on 20mg daily for weeks now. He is at the rheumatologist's office right now. I am hoping she will increase his medications to help his sinuses.