Update on Hubby

na ^ | Feb. 20, 2004 | ETERNAL WARMING

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Precious Prayer Warriors,

My husband is finally stabilized in his breathing. Today they drained fluid from his lungs and took another CAT Scan. They found that the mass is outside the lung but he has blood clots in his lung. So tomorrow they'll take a closer look at that and deal with it first. He's doing much better and I can't tell you how relieved I am. I thankyou all from your prayers and support. I can't tell you how much it means to me. EW

[jigsaw]

More prayers aloft for your husband -- and for you!

[Hotdog]

Praying with you....be strong...your husband needs it.

[mcenedo]

my prayers are with you - my mother-in-law going through chemo right now.

[Pegita]

Heavenly Father, we return to give You thanks for Your goodness to Norman and Eternal Warming ... thank You that You have eased his breathing and that he is able to rest. Place Your healing hand upon his lungs, I pray, and the mass that is outside his lungs ... grace the medical staff to know how to quickly and successfully treat each incident, that he may recover his health. May this beloved couple feel Your Presence throughout this time of trial ... walk with them through this darkness and back into the sunshine, in the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen ...

[jwalsh07]

God bless EW.

[Humidston]

Prayers continuing, EW.

I don't know where you're located, but our local news had an interesting item.... Baylor Med. in Dallas has a very promising new lung cancer drug, and they're going to begin trials very soon. They said it's only for advanced cases, but just keep it in mind if it might be a possibility.

Being an ex-smoker, I took notice for myself as well.

[bogdanPolska12]

Here is information that may be useful for you.

CT Scans Detect Blood Clots in the Lungs and Legs

CT scans can be more effective and less invasive in diagnosing certain blood clots than traditional diagnostic procedures, according to studies performed at the Medical College of Wisconsin by a team led by Lawrence R. Goodman, MD, FACR, Professor of Radiology and Chief of Thoracic Imaging at the college.

Blood clots sometimes form in veins of the legs in patients who have been on prolonged bed rest or who have experienced injury or surgery to the pelvis or legs, according to Dr. Goodman, who is also a Froedtert & Medical College Radiologist. If the blood clots in the leg veins break away and pass through the heart to the lungs, the heart must work harder to pump blood. It also becomes difficult for the lungs to make the necessary exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide – with potentially disastrous effects.

The majority of patients with thromboembolic disease have blood clots in lungs and legs. Symptoms of blood clots in the lungs include shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood or sudden collapse. People with blood clots in the legs may experience swelling, pain or redness. Since these symptoms are non-specific, they can be very difficult to diagnose accurately.

CT scans – also known as computed tomography or “CAT” scans – are effective in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) and deep venous thrombosis (blood clots in the legs), which indicate thromboembolic disease, a potentially fatal condition. CT scans are also effective in eliminating thromboembolic disease as the cause of symptoms and offering alternative diagnoses.

Fewer Shortcoming Than Traditional Techniques
Traditional diagnostic procedures for thromboembolic disease include ventilation-perfusion scanning (a nuclear medicine technique) and ultrasound. Nuclear scans may not be definitive because certain other lung diseases can masquerade as clots; pulmonary angiography may still be needed to reach a diagnosis. These traditional diagnostic procedures are more invasive than CT scanning. Pulmonary angiography, for example, involves inserting a small plastic tube (a catheter) into a vein in the groin and guiding it through the heart into the lungs. Contrast dye is then injected through the catheter so that X-ray images of suspected clots can be created. A similar procedure is used in venograms of the legs. This has been largely replaced by ultrasound.

CT scans do expose patients to radiation – more than a simple chest X-ray but less than an angiogram, according to Dr. Goodman. Also, a few patients could experience an allergic reaction or kidney problems from the dye that is used for CT scans or angiography.

“The traditional diagnostic workup for thromboembolic disease is typically long and cumbersome and often fails to provide a definitive diagnosis,” Dr. Goodman says. “CT scans show the lungs and legs in the same procedure, are quicker, and provide a definitive diagnosis in more than 90% of patients. Ventilation-perfusion scans are conclusive in less than 50% of patients.”

High-Resolution Helical Scanning Provides Clear Results
When a CT scan for thromboembolic disease is performed, contrast dye is injected into the patient’s bloodstream through the arm while the patient rests on a table in the center of a ring of special X-ray equipment. Today’s CT machines provide “helical” images, as both the table and X-ray equipment housed in the ring move together to provide rapid, high-resolution images. This helical computed tomography can effectively scan the lungs and the veins of the legs for blood clots that are highlighted by the dye. CT scanning itself is simple, painless and relatively quick.

If blood clots are suspected only in the legs, an ultrasound may be performed first because it is less costly than a CT and does not involve dye.

If blood clots in the lungs are suspected, a CT will usually be performed. CT can also show alternative diagnoses such as a collapsed lung or pneumonia. In patients with normal chest X-rays, where the results are not likely to be confused by other lung diseases, a nuclear scan may be preferable.

If blood clots are found, anti-coagulant therapy is administered. If blood clots are found in the lungs, the patient will remain in the hospital for a few days of observation because anticoagulant therapy with heparin is individualized to the patient. On discharge, patients are typically switched to the oral anticoagulant warfarin.

Dr. Goodman’s Medical College of Wisconsin research team included co-investigators W. Dennis Foley, MD, Professor of Radiology, Randolph J. Lipchik, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Martin R. Crain MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, and Kiran B. Sagar, MD, Professor of Medicine. Their work provides us with a better way to detect thromboembolic disease, a diagnosis that was more difficult and unreliable in the past. Using newer technologies, diagnostic procedures are safer, less invasive and highly effective.

[Cicero]

My prayers for your husband.

[dandelion]

We are still praying for you, dear. You are precious to us, and to God.

[MissAmericanPie]

Here you go dear heart, hopefully this will bring you even more peace of mind. You might ask your doctor about getting your husband in on the testing program.

My family and I are always web surfing for cures. My brother emailed this to me as my husbands cancer has spread from his liver to his lung, a lymph node, and is back at the site of his first surgery.

We are determined to fight this tooth and nail as we try to keep things upbeat and normal for his sake. I hope this information leads to a victory for you both. May God bless and keep you.


http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a_4_7uqVZ_DI&refer=us

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3505805.stm

[Humidston]

Blessings and prayer for your husband as well, MAP. And thank you for the links. This is what I was trying to say earlier - in a much more feeble way.

[GeronL]

prayers. you'll need them in these trying times.

[MissAmericanPie]

Thank you for your kind prayers, I hope these links are the answer.

[B4Ranch]

Thanks for the update on your husband. May God continually bless the doctors with His knowledge and His strength for you and your family.