1. < Lung Cancer

Hoping for some advice - 8mm nodule - now pain in my upper back

Posted by js @jstarkman, Jul 22, 2024

I have an 8mm nodule in my lower left lobe that my dr has been monitoring for about 2 years. I have had 3 CT scans since and it appears to be stable. They cannot do a biopsy given the location and my thoracic surgeon said that if it grows he will remove it. My last CT was 4 1/2 months ago and the next is scheduled in another 3 months. For the last week or 10 days, I have had pain below my left shoulder blade when sleeping on my left side and it has been concerning me - I do not want to be an alarmist and as such, I am a bit reluctant to call my thoracic surgeon (who is monitoring me) but I also don't want to ignore something that shouldn't be.

Should I try and have a follow-up CT scan sooner or simply wait and see if the pain gets worse or subsides as perhaps it may be due to something else entirely?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

ggmamasita | @ggmamasita | Feb 16 9:03pm

I am going through the steps of finding out if I do. If I did not advocate for myself when I noticed changes in my body and the dr.s were telling me the reason for weight loss, muscle loss, no energy, always tired, loss of interest, new pain in shoulder and back was always, it is my age. I am only 58, it started when I was 55, I demanded acta scan from a doctor who was leaving, and lo and behold, a suspicious cystic mular nodule 8mm, a lesion in paratid, not sure if it is related, and still seen on cta scans from 2022 and 2023, i still had GGO's with shift tissue nodules and others you can't really see. The place i was going said it was nothing but inflammation, where I disagreed. They should have been doing follow up low loose cta scans every 6 months. When they failed and 20 months went by, I realized, you vanity count on them to do the right thing. You need to advocate for yourself. When you tell them and they ignore it, time fir a different doctor until you find someone who listens to your concerns and investigates. The same goes for a doctor, if they don't have the details, they dint know what all they should be looking at to try and find out what if anything is wrong. I lost a father to leukemia, I am the first in my family for lung cancer stuff, My lungs were exposed to a lot of toxins over the years including tobacco. I am medically smart, and mentally prepared for what ever the outcome is, but early detection is important, and I am hoping that my pushing for answers and not excepting that I got a year older so my body went through so many changes in what seemed like overnight was not a good enough answer, especially when I knew I was a high risk for lung cancer.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Lisa, Volunteer Mentor | @lls8000 | Feb 17 3:51pm
In reply to @ggmamasita "I am going through the steps of finding out if I do. If I did not..." + (show)
@ggmamasita

I am going through the steps of finding out if I do. If I did not advocate for myself when I noticed changes in my body and the dr.s were telling me the reason for weight loss, muscle loss, no energy, always tired, loss of interest, new pain in shoulder and back was always, it is my age. I am only 58, it started when I was 55, I demanded acta scan from a doctor who was leaving, and lo and behold, a suspicious cystic mular nodule 8mm, a lesion in paratid, not sure if it is related, and still seen on cta scans from 2022 and 2023, i still had GGO's with shift tissue nodules and others you can't really see. The place i was going said it was nothing but inflammation, where I disagreed. They should have been doing follow up low loose cta scans every 6 months. When they failed and 20 months went by, I realized, you vanity count on them to do the right thing. You need to advocate for yourself. When you tell them and they ignore it, time fir a different doctor until you find someone who listens to your concerns and investigates. The same goes for a doctor, if they don't have the details, they dint know what all they should be looking at to try and find out what if anything is wrong. I lost a father to leukemia, I am the first in my family for lung cancer stuff, My lungs were exposed to a lot of toxins over the years including tobacco. I am medically smart, and mentally prepared for what ever the outcome is, but early detection is important, and I am hoping that my pushing for answers and not excepting that I got a year older so my body went through so many changes in what seemed like overnight was not a good enough answer, especially when I knew I was a high risk for lung cancer.

Jump to this post

@ggmamasita , I'm sorry to hear that your concerns about your own health were not heard. We know our bodies best, and you did the right thing to keep going back. Please keep getting those scans, so you can note any changes. Early detection is important.

REPLY
1 reply
ggmamasita | @ggmamasita | Feb 17 4:45pm
In reply to @lls8000 "@ggmamasita , I'm sorry to hear that your concerns about your own health were not heard...." + (show)
@lls8000

@ggmamasita , I'm sorry to hear that your concerns about your own health were not heard. We know our bodies best, and you did the right thing to keep going back. Please keep getting those scans, so you can note any changes. Early detection is important.

Jump to this post

Indeed, and thank you. I plan on it, which is why i am here at mayo at this moment, to get the best care possible

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.