Dr. Duncanson follow up visit

 Mary Jo had a follow up visit with her primary care doctor, Dr. Emma Duncanson on Friday October 6th 2023 at the Richfield Allina clinic.  We wanted to ask Dr. Duncan questions about the possibility of testing for pheochromocytoma and a referral to see a pulminary specialist.  Dr. Duncanson listen to our concerns and ordered a blood test to check thyroid numbers and a 24 hour urine test which is a test for pheochromocytoma.  She also gave a referal for Mary Jo to see a pulmonary specialist to see if pulminary Sarcoidosis could be causing the sporadic blood pressure spikes that Mary Jo had expereinced last October and this August.  

Oncology Visit For Referral

 Mary Jo had a consultation visit with her new oncologist, Dr. Sandeep Jain, MBBS yesterday at Minnesota Oncology to dicuss getting a referral to see a pulmonary doctor after the chest X-Ray from the E.R. visit revealed bulky bilateral lymphadenopathy.  Prior to Mary Jo starting her cancer treatment back in 2009, a P.E.T. scan lead to a simular discovery which lead to a biopsy preceedure being ordered to confirm that the suspicious scan was not malignant.  The 2009 biopsy lab result was non necrotising granuloma but "not malignant" so our concerns were shelved and Mary Jo's cancer treatment moved forward at full speed but we never got to the bottom of the bilateral lymphadenopathy issue.  Dr. Jain does not feel that the recent bilateral lymphadenopathy scan is consistant with cancer so that is good news but he referred us to a pulmonary specialist as the nest step.  Dr. Jain suggested that they would likely redo the the proceedure to get a new biopsy sample.  Mary Jo says she is feeling normal and is not to concerned.  We are both looking forward to scheduling the meeting and getting more information.

Dr. Jain explaining proceedure scan results.

E.R doctor explaining x-ray from 2023

Back to the E.R.

                                                                                 

                 

I stopped writting blog posts here several years back thinking we were long past all the cancer stuff and it was time to move on.  I had always found it helpful for me to record medical visits and events as a good referance for me to come back to later to clarify what I may later forget so here I go again.  I did not make an entry last fall when Mary Jo was admitted to the hospital for a "heart event" so I am going to start writting and recording again starting now because I used this very blog to look back on a July 2009 post to review what exactly took place with the PET scan and her surgeon's diagnosis.  Here we go.

Last November 1st, 2022, Mary Jo drove herself into the E.R. thinking that she may be having a heart attack.  Chest pain, pounding chest, pain shooting up her arm, very high BP readings.  Multiple tests and specialist exams during her hospital stay diagnosed she had Takobuso Cardiomyopathy.  MJ did cardio rehab and tried various medications for a few months before her injection fraction of her left ventrical returned to normal function.  We were told by the cardiologists that this was a stress induced condition that typically goes away on its own, which we beleived it did.  I still question the "stress induced" theory but that was their diagnosis.  Jump forward to Monday August 21st 2023, Mary Jo said she was feeling chest pain and uneasiness.  She took her BP and it was dangerously elevated.  This time she told me as I was leaving the house that she was concerned about her BP so we immediately jumped in the car and sped off to the ER at Burnsville Ridges hospital.  Triage immediately brought her in, sent her blood in for testing/exams because her BP was reading 205/110.  They did a Tropomin biomarker (Blood test) to check to see if MJ was having a heart attack.  Did an EKG (came back normal).

They also did a D-Dimer test to test for blood clots.  Tropomin was negitive but the D-Dimer was positive.  A chest X-ray showed no clots (pulmonary embolism) so it appears she was not currently in a life threatening condition but the x-ray revealed stable indeterminate bulky bilateral lymphadenopathy with scattered mild mediastinal lymphadenopthy so follow up visits are scheduled and Mary Jo was releaved of work for her trip the next day and we were sent on our way after 5 hours in the ER.  

I am hoping that testing will diagonoisis this is just a benign symptom of Sarcoidosis on the lungs and not also inclusive of the heart and please not cancer.  More updates to come as we learn more.

2014 Summer Update

Cancer has put its hand on my family again this year but we are not allowing it to hold us down. Mary Jo continues with her regular oncology checkups and is doing fine but my youngest brother Jim received the news that nobody wants to hear after having a suspicious mole removed from his back. Melanoma skin cancer. Jim is fighting back. He has endured the surgeries and already completed phase one of his chemo therapy (chemo for 5 days a week for the first month) Jim has just started phase two on Monday (chemo 3 days a week for 11 months). Jim has a great attitude and he says he feels pretty good and considering the long list of negative side effects that patience can typically experience while going through this chemo treatment. I am so proud of Jim for his courage to take on this most aggressive treatment option, doing everything modern science has to offer in the battle so that he can here for his family years from now verses just leaving it to chance.



my brother Jim receiving his chemo treatment

My cousin Kim Petroska wrote on her Face Book page on July 6th.

Thank You to everybody who wished me a "Happy Birthday"! This year on my 47th Birthday I decided to give myself a Special GIFT...a gift to a new life! Since Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer run in my family with my sister and aunt both having and Survived Breast Cancer. I took a blood test for the BRAC1 gene and my results came back Positive.
I was at high risk for developing both and wanted to be Pro Active! I underwent a bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy and bilateral saplingo-oophorectomy. I had tissue expanders put in and will have the final implants completed in a few months. I feel great! The 3 Doctors were Amazing! And I am looking forward to being there for my family and friends!
So please...
GET TESTED
BE PRO ACTIVE
AND CARRY ON!

But most importantly... Let's Find a Cure for Cancer!

  Paulo (Kim's husband) and my cousin Kim

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Show your support by wearing a little pink this month.   A special thanks to all who donated this summer to my fundraising efforts for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day For The Cure.  With your generous support through donation we surpassed my ambitious goal and contributed $5,545 to help fund a cure for this terrible disease that effects so many.  Look around for pink this month, it's everywhere.

29 Days and Counting

The 2013 Twin Cities 3-Day For The Cure kicks off in 29 days and I am urging everyone to please help support Mary Jo and I reach our ambitious 2013 fundraising goal in the fight to end breast cancer! The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days in August. This year, Mary Jo and I along with our friends, Nicole and Randy have volunteered to serve as crew members for the 2013 Twin Cities 3-Day. Our job description, "Lunch Pit Stop Crew" and we will be responsible for supporting all the walkers by working the main lunch stop each of the 3 days at this year's event. I urge you to please help if you can by donating because the net proceeds from your generous donations to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure are invested in breast cancer research and community programs. This research has led to new treatments that have made a lifesaving difference in Mary Jo's cancer treatment and recovery for which I am eternally grateful to the Susan G. Komen origination.

 



Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas 2012

Mary Jo and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy new year.  We are so blessed that Mary Jo is healthy this Christmas and feeling great. 

 

Mary Jo, Cash and Molly at Hossanna's Christmas service

Mary Jo and Campbell at Campbell's "Nutcracker" ballet