CT scan results | Arthritis Information
Well, here is what was found from the CT scan. Lots of tests will have to be done next so they say. I doubt if my RD will plac eme on any Rheumatoid meds at this point......ya just can't do "s***" when you have heart probs! I am fortunate that the xray taken in January was taken and that they ordered the CT scan. Blood work was taken today to check cholesteral and so forth, still have to be referred to a cardio here.........
I guess I will be looking for a message board for all this stuff.
Left subclavian artery slightly tortuous and bulges into left lung apex.
Mild ectasia of the ascending thoracic aorta with maximum diameter of 43 mm
Dense coronary artery calcifications located in the left main coronary artery and and also peripherally in the LAD.
3mm cacified granuloma in the lingula
A linear calcified plaque anteriorly located in the left chest
Several tiny bilateral noncalcified pleural based nodual densities.
There is a small amount of postinflammatory parenchymal scar in both lung bases.
A 3 mm nonobstructing calculus in the upper pole of the left kidney.
The findings suggest aortic valvular disease or hypertension. Prominent calcifications within the main coronary artery indicates significant coronary artery disease.
jodejjr2008-05-19 10:06:54I am so sorry! I couldn't make sense of it until the last two sentences, but now I see. I hope you can get this turned around!
Jode, I'm so sorry there is something more on your plate, but maybe a cardio can help resolve some things that will help you feel better. Take care.
Sorry the news was not better. I too do not understand much more than the fact that you have coronary artery disease. Prayers going up that this can be corrected with non invasive treatments.That's a bit to bite off all at once... I hope you can find procedures that quicklly help you and get you back to being better..I am sorry to hear all of this, Jode. I hope you can get some of it straightened out.
Much hugs!
hi joddjjr sorry to be reading this... i hope you dont mind me asking
but i wonderd how it all began. as i have had high cholesetrol 2yrs left
untreated..now on statins high bp 165/90 something... scince febuary.
now treated whith ace inhibitor ramipril now 133/99 .. raging tinnitus
and fingertips have pitting just this morning..i had a ecg last tuesday
this was normal.
Boney
Jode, look at it this way - you have advance warning of the problem and a chance to fix it before you have a heart attack or stroke.
Well Jode, you knew something was wrong. I am glad you have some answers. Not knowing is the hardest part, now you know how to fight back with diet, vitamins, exercise, medication. CathyOh my gooodness, thank you all so much for all this support!
All I know right now is we are going to wait on the bloodwork taken today for the lipids and cholesterol. THen I will be referred to a cardio...been there done that. I had a heart attack in 1997 I think it was, but ignored it, learned about 6 mos later from an ekg.
THis all began in January when I had an anxiety attack from a huge family argument. The Dr. at the ER wanted a chest xray cause I had been coughing so much. THen they ordered another chest xray and found nodules. THen they ordered a CT scan but forgot or failed to notify me about it.
I was then called by the ER months later to ask if I had followed through on the CT scan and I didn't know anything about it. Went to the clinic Dr. and she ordered it. It was done April 24, got the note this past week to make an appt. so I did and went today and this is where I stand now. My Dr. encouraged me to stay in swimming/aerobics .
Bummer DX but yet I cannot emphasize enough to everyone..............
it is information............it explains my chest pain and why I felt I had shingles all the time and felt lousy and so overly fatigued.
I did mention to my daughter that I had to start seeing a cardiologist again, she is used to that since I had to go so much yrs ago, then once a year after that. That is all I told her.With her being so pregnant and not feeling well herself these days I do not want to alarm her at all whatsoever.
I will be ok....sorta used to health probs, and with RA and fibro and all the meds I have had to take since 1991, along with my age, it does not really surprise me. There is always something RA likes to cause! Mainly trouble! lol I Always blame it on RA.!!
Sometimes I wonder if vicodin and all that pred helped this along, it doesn't really matter though, I needed it.
I guess I will just walk through this journey and see where it takes me. I have a warning, (well ok, more than a warning), so I will learn what I can and follow Dr. 's orders and see what all these docs want me to do. Maybe now I will qualify for SSI!
So it will now be..........once again in my life ( as always) more Dr.'s, more tests, more hospitals, more procedures, different meds , oh and the lovely hospital gowns, cannot forget those, ( and they have slippers now too)!!!!!!!
Remember, I have been doing this since I was a baby , allll my life! I got a bit of a break, but now it is back to "my body just is not made right" and "yep, I am sick all the time".
Thanks so much for all your kind words. I truly appreciate it.
Jode
jodejjr2008-05-19 18:58:58Oh yeah...BTW: interesting to note:
No High BP at all. Just more shadows on the xrays. THis was all found as a fluke because they found nodules in my chest xrays.
Yes- that's right....and what did they say about those?Yeah... what did they say about those nodules? That is where the more testing comes in....we are taking this one step at a time, one dx at a time.
Like I said, I have a lot more tests...................<sigh>
Oh... I hate it when they do that... tend to one thing at a time! I mean how do you decide which out of the list is more important, you know what I mean?
Well... I hope the testing all goes well... and no more bad news, and only good.
Much hugs and prayers!
Ummmmm looks like from what I can tell....what the nodules were.....maybe scar tissue?????????????? I will ask again.
jodejjr2008-05-19 20:18:15hi jode . interesting about the nodules. wonder if they are ra related.
as you say a person cant help wondering about the meds,
stress can be a major factor... as you say we should not ignore the
warning signs.
wishing you well. stay strong stay posotive.
Boney..
Jode, I just got through a special high density CT scan of the lungs looking for fibrosis (negative), but two new "nodules" were found (I have 5 total now). My ex the chiro found the first two back in the 90s on a flat plane thoracic xray. He said they were calcified lymph nodes.
I had rechecks at six months for two years since 2002 when this whole thing started by hitting me hard in the chest and right lung field, but they never changed size. A CT scan about a year ago showed a new one (#3), in the other lung, only a bit larger, and no change in the first two, still. This newest scan showed two more (5 total), these two bigger than the third one, and no change in size in the three previously detected.
Nobody knows what they are, just "nodules". If they are calcified lymph nodes as my ex told me (is that possible? he lied so much I don't believe him), I would say its from our disease and the "attack" of our autoimmune system, turning on itself and trying to kill us. Attack of the killer autoimmune/lymph system evidence. Well, I don't believe that theory, but that's the MDs' theory.
Keep us informed, I would be fascinated to know what they say about your nodules. I have had them for over 20 years now and all I am told is to "watch" them (like I have xray vision or something LOL) Take care ~~ Cathy
justsaynoemore2008-05-20 03:37:23just....I think when they say to "watch" them it is a nice way to say we are not sure what they are and/ or there is nothing we can do about them I hope I am wrong though with that.
All I know is that I am thinking that RA meds and cardio meds don't go together. But then the old saying of "don't always believe what you think" comes to mind.
WHen you figure in the fact I have been on vicodin since 1991, it makes ya wonder what damage it does over time, maybe none, but I am going to try to cut back and I am only on 1/2 tab of 500 every 4 hrs. as needed.Like Boney states as well....you cannot help but wonder about all the meds.
Maybeall of this it has nothing to do with any of it.
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