Dr. Appt Today

[Aunnie]

Hi Phil,
I'm new to this site and I want to wish you a quick response from your docs. I know sometimes the wait is very frustrating,but hang in there. Let us know how you make out on the 10th.
Good and healthy thoughts are being sent your way.Have you been on Rituxan before?
Aunie

[pberggren1]

I have not been on Rituxan before, Aunie.

[pberggren1]

I just got an e-mail from my Rheumy. She says:

"Biopsy shows chronic infection - abscess - I will see what Dr. Franke (ENT) says today and will contact Dr. Gowda (Pulmo) with these results. Mucormycosis is a possibility."

What exactly does "abscess" mean?

[Jack]

An abscess is like a big spot. It is a collection of puss in a sack caused by infection or a foreign body. You have to be careful here because Wegener's also presents itself in the form of infected tissue, but in this case it will not respond to antibiotics and I think it is usually more generalised and not contained within a sack. If it is Wegener's, a biopsy will also probably (but not always) show granulomas. I trust your docs are qualified to tell the difference because it is so common to treat Wegener's symptoms as if they are infections. In my own case, I was treated for a chronic sinus infection without success until I was at death's door!

[pberggren1]

I was at death's door when I was first diagnosed. The docs said before that I had a chronic sinus infection.

This abscess thing sounds scary.

[pberggren1]

So what you are saying Jack, is that this abscess that I have will not respond to antibiotics?

[Jack]

No, not at all. If it is an abscess then it will respond to the right antibiotic, but they might need to grow a culture to check which one is best. I was mainly trying to warn against the confusion between infections and Wegener's, but if you have already been through all the sinus infection stuff in the past, I'm sure you will be well aware of it.

[pberggren1]

Now I get it. Thanks Jack.

I have had sinus infections since last September so I hope this is not WG.

[elephant]

Hope you start to get the right medical treatment. Like Jack said...need the right antibiotic....sometimes they use the big gun( very strong antibiotics) like Levaquin. Cipro, ....

[Jack]

If they try to grow a culture and fail, it may well be Wegener's. I think you should press for some analysis results from the stuff in your nose.